It Should've Been You
by jackalope21
Summary: Something good may have finally come back into Opie's life... at the worst time. Set just before season 4 when everyone is set to be released, and follows with the seasons. Rated M and MA for language and situations consistent with the show, violence and otherwise.
1. Chapter 1

**I love this show. The writing is amazing, Kurt Sutter is a freaking genius, and the characters are absolutely great. My writing is nowhere near as good as Sutter's, but I hope I've captured the characters well enough.**

**Opie's one of my favorites and I felt so bad for him since season one. Poor guy gets dumped on all the time so I wanted to kind of give him something good. I know there's a lot of fics out there like this I'm sure, but let me know what you think. Set just before season 4 begins and it will move along with the show after that. Comments are appreciated! Enjoy!  
**

Chapter 1

The remaining crew sat around the bar, each sharing a shot in respect for those that were no longer with them, but were coming home soon. The rest of SAMCRO was going to be getting out in about a week. Everyone was excited, they couldn't believe it. Tara had her two boys with her, Gemma playing with Thomas while Abel colored near the pool table. Lyla was sitting with Opie while everyone told stories about their excitement.

"I heard congratulations are in order."

The new voice sounded loudly in the familiar voices of the crew. It was foreign and it was feminine. The crew all turned to see a young woman walking through the front door. She smiled kindly, pulling her sunglasses up to the top of her head, resting them in her ebony hair. Her brilliant green eyes scanned the crowd of misfits as she approached.

"Can a girl get a drink?"

"Jesus Christ." Chibs all but gasped as he stood. "Alex girl, that you?"

Her smile turned wider, a laugh leaving her lips.

"Hey Chibs." She laughed.

The Scot walked up to her and hugged her tightly, the young woman returning the affection.

"Aren't you a sight fer' sore eyes." He chuckled, still squeezing her strongly before pulling back and kissing her on each cheek. "Come back at a hell o' a time."

"So I heard."

Piney walked up to her, smiling warmly. He looped his arms around the young woman, hugging her tighter than she thought he would.

"Damn it's good to see you." He chuckled.

"How's it goin' dad?"

He sighed and pulled back, kissing the top of her head and still smiling affectionately.

"Been a long time since you've called me that." He mused.

"Yeah well, blood or no." she smiled.

"Holy shit." Gemma grinned, walking up with her hands on her hips. "The prodigal daughter returns."

"Mama Gemma, hey." Alex laughed.

"Jesus Christ," Gemma sighed, hugging Alex tightly. "It's good to see you're alive."

Alex's smile was weak but she nodded into the woman's hair.

"Yeah. You too." They parted. "Heard about that shit last year."

"Which part?" Gemma asked sarcastically.

Alex nodded. She'd been keeping track of everything that happened with SAMCRO the past few years, at least the members she knew, and it wasn't inspiring. It did nothing but spur her desire to return home as soon as she could. It pained her that it took so long to come back, but her happiness melted it away quickly.

Gemma wrapped her arm around Alex, the two walking in a bit further when the young woman looked up. Her eyes fell to Opie standing near the other side of the back. His face was blank. She moved uncomfortably for a moment, her hands moving into her pockets as Gemma branched off and walked over to the other 'old dogs'.

"How you been Ope?"

He stood there; more shocked it seemed than the others at the young woman's random appearance. He was about as dazed as Tara, but it was for a different reason. Lyla looked from her man to the stranger and back again, understanding nothing.

Opie had seen her come in, recognition taking hold the second he saw her eyes. Alex had changed so much in the passed few years but not her eyes. She was taller now, something he attributed to her boots hidden underneath her faded and torn jeans. It was always strange how someone could look different and the same all at once. His head was filling with conflicting thoughts, questions and other things that threatened to give him a headache, all of which was making him do little more than stare.

"Are you just going to stand there and stare at me or something?" she asked with an uncomfortable grin.

Her words seemed to be what snapped the man out of his stupor. Without warning, the giant moved forward, pushing one of the chairs aside and grabbed the young woman. He wrapped his massive arms around her, engulfing her completely.

Opie stood upright, Alex's feet leaving the ground from the height difference. She hugged him tightly, her eyes closing as tears of joy began to grow within her lids. Piney, Chibs and Gemma smiled knowingly as Opie held the young woman. Lyla on the other hand didn't like it at all.

"I never thought I'd see you again." He finally sighed, setting the young woman down but not relenting his grip.

"I can't run from Charming." She laughed weakly, gently holding the back of his head. "Born here, die here."

He gripped her tighter than before and made her wince.

"Ope sweetie, I can't breathe."

The ones that knew the situation laughed as she patted his back and tried to get him to let her go. Reluctantly, he seemed to do just that. Before he pulled away, Opie held her cheeks in his hands and kissed the top of her head, something that made Lyla even more uncomfortable.

The large young man held his lips to her floral smelling hair for a moment or two, filled with more relief than he'd felt in a long time. When he pulled back she smiled wide, the tears lingering on her cheeks.

He took a step back from her as she wiped them from her pink cheeks and smiled at the blond woman staring at her. Lyla had taken a few skeptical steps forward, almost reaching Opie's side completely before Alex spotted her with a glance.

"Hi. I'm Alex." She waved, smiling warmly.

"Lyla." Was about all she could manage.

"Lyla here's gonna be my daughter." Piney chimed, stepping forward and looping his arm proudly over the small woman's shoulder.

Alex looked surprised, but the smile never faded. Her attention shifted to Opie who was still stunned she was there and smacked him in the gut hard enough to make him grunt.

"Why didn't you say anything?" she scolded lightly, making her way to Lyla. "Congratulations."

Without warning, the young woman reached forward and hugged Lyla. Hesitantly and unsurely, the blond returned the action before Alex pulled back. Alex was smiling genuinely and warmly to her, both almost as disarming as everything else that had happened thus far.

"Congratulations again." She smiled before turning and seeing Tara. Her smile immediately turned forced. "Tara."

"How's it going Alex?" she asked in the same relatively forced tone, her eyes instinctively moving towards her sons.

"Good. You?"

"Good." She shrugged.

It was obvious, even to those who didn't know, that the two didn't seem to like each other very much or they were skeptical and suspicious of the other.

"Well come on then," Chibs chimed, grabbing the young woman and pulling her into a seat. "Tha hell ya been up to for tha las' fuckin' decade?"

"Where's the ol' man?" Piney asked.

"Uh… gone." She answered reluctantly with a forced smile. "Run off somewhere or something. I don't really know."

Opie twitched for some reason, an involuntary reaction to her words while the others offered condolences. She tried not to show how little she cared her husband was gone and took their kind words in stride.

Alex seemed to feel Opie looking at her and glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes. The two seemed to share an unspoken understanding. He could tell she knew he was giving her his silent sorrys and she nodded quietly to him. There was a silent conversation that moved between the two like when they were young, Alex telling Opie she was sorry for everything he'd gone through and the same coming from him.

"Sorry to hear it." Chibs told her.

"I've had time to adjust." She replied in a voice that let them all know she wasn't broken up about it.

"Apparently." He smiled.

"So how bout someone fill me in on why the hell half of SAMCRO got sent away?" she asked before glancing around. "And from the looks of it, the good half."

They smiled and laughed, giving her shit for her comment. Without warning, Abel ran up to her and looped himself around her leg forcing Alex to lurch.

"Oh Abel sweetie…" Tara gasped, taking a few steps forward.

"It's okay." Alex laughed as she bent down to look at the boy. "Hi."

He waved, chewing on his finger as he looked at the young woman with a wide smile.

"Abel, say hi to Alex." Gemma said kindly, stepping up behind the little boy.

"Hi." He muttered quietly.

She laughed warmly at the little boy.

"Come on baby. Come sit with grandma."

"Whoa what?" Alex asked as Gemma lifted Abel into her arms.

"Oh yeah." The matriarch smiled. "Him too."

Alex looked over and noticed Tara picking up a baby into her arms, her face almost blank as she stared at the other woman. Alex's expression shifted into disbelief.

"Yours?" she asked, pointing to Tara.

Tara nodded. To her, both boys were her sons. She took delight in the shock that stretched across Alex's face.

"Jesus I did miss a lot." She sighed, falling into her seat.

Gemma took Abel over to Tara and Lyla to play while the others went about filling her in. Alex couldn't believe her ears. They told her everything they could in front of Lyla and Tara, not knowing what either knew, but it was still substantial.

"Jesus Christ," she sighed, running her fingers frustratingly through her hair. "I leave you guys alone for a few years and everything goes to hell."

They smiled at her smartass remark before Chibs noticed something.

"Oi!" he called, turning in his seat. "Let's get my girl a drink yeah!"

Chucky moved quickly and grabbed a beer, scurrying to bring it to her. She was about to take it when she spotted his nubs.

"Holy shit!" she declared loudly, moving back from the shock. "Who'd you piss off so much they'd do that?"

"Chinese." Piney replied in his gravely, smoking induced voice.

"Damn. They're vicious anymore." She smiled.

"I accept that." Chucky replied.

She nodded unsurely to him before popping the top of her beer and taking a drink.

"So how long's this trip gonna be hm?" Chibs asked. "Ya jus' gonna run off again?"

"No." she replied with her ever present grin. It was painful at this point but she just couldn't stop. "I'm here for good. Just started renting a house off Harper."

"What happened to your dad's place?" Piney asked, taking a sip of his beer.

"I sold it years ago after he died." She said softly, feeling a twinge from the memory of her father. "Honestly didn't think I'd be coming back after that."

"Yeah well, you're here now." Piney said, patting her shoulder gently.

She looked warmly to the old man, holding his hand when she looked up at Opie. His expression still hadn't changed. To be honest, he was happy she was here, he just didn't believe it. Alex let a light grin touch her lips, her face shifting into mild discomfort. She was beginning to wonder if he'd suddenly gone mute.

Opie still didn't move. He was having trouble focusing on anything other than the young woman that had vanished from their radar five years ago. She'd suddenly dropped off the face of the Earth one day, returning no calls, no letters, nothing. Her random appearance was welcomed but off and confusing. But, just because he was silent, didn't mean the others were. They all but fired questions at her one after another, all of them too distracted to notice Lyla walking to Tara.

"Can I talk to you for a second?" Lyla whispered.

"Yeah." Tara nodded. "Can you watch them?"

"Of course honey." Gemma replied, taking the baby while Abel went about playing again.

Opie watched as the two young women moved into the back to talk, but didn't react. He was still a little shocked to really think anything of it.

Tara and Lyla walked into the back apartment, the young blond glancing out the door before closing it behind her. Tara could see her moving uncomfortably and assumed she knew where the conversation was going. Sure enough, she was right.

"So uh, who's this Alex girl?" Lyla asked.

Tara was kind of surprised she had asked so bluntly but if someone she didn't know came up and hugged Jax like that, the doctor would probably be just as worried. Besides, there wasn't another way to really come out and say it other than blurting it out.

"She's an old friend of Jax's and Opie's." she said, taking a seat on the bed. "Her dad was part of the club too so they all kind of grew up together."

"So, do I have anything to worry about?"

Tara looked up to see Lyla looking at her nervously. She forced a smile and shook her head. Lyla didn't have anything to worry about, probably… most likely… well maybe…

"No. She's like their sister."

Lyla seemed to breathe a little easier but it was Tara that remained unnerved. She didn't lie to the young woman. Alex really did grow up with Jax and Opie. Her dad really was apart of SAMCRO back in the day. And Lyla didn't have anything to worry about for the most part, but Tara did.

It wasn't a secret that Alex was livid with the way Tara and Jax broke up. Tara was the girl that broke Alex's brother's heart and Alex was immensely protective of the two. While the two were together, Alex was so relieved to have another girl around and began to love Tara like a sister, but the betrayal was too much for her, hence their uncomfortable greeting.

"What about you?"

Tara looked up and realized Lyla was looking concerned at her. The doctor forced another smile and sighed.

"That's another issue all together." She replied.

Lyla looked slightly confused. Tara only stood and brushed it off.

"Don't worry about it." She smiled.

Lyla nodded slowly and the two filed back out into the bar. When they emerged, Opie and Alex were sitting off in the far corner talking alone. Lyla didn't like it.

"I heard about Donna." Alex said softly. Her brow creased. "I'm sorry."

Opie nodded slowly, looking back down at the ground.

"It's been taken care of." He answered in a thick voice.

She smiled as best she could.

"I wanted to be there, at the funeral, but I just couldn't make it."

He shrugged slightly before looking back at her. A weak smile tugged at the corner of his lips briefly. His eyes moved over her features, the man still leaning onto his knees with his hands clasped together.

"You look good Alex."

She smiled warmly.

"You too." She replied, grabbing his beard and tugging on it slightly. "All grown up."

He chuckled and batted her hand away, scratching his chin to rid himself of the random tickle that her contact left behind.

"And congrats on the engagement."

"Thanks." He nodded, looking up and smiling at a blank Lyla.

"She seems nice." She continued, glancing to the young woman before back at Opie.

"She is." He replied, turning back to her. "She helped me out a lot after Donna, with my kids and stuff."

"That's good." Alex lightly took the man's hand in hers. He cupped it, and patted the back with his free hand. "I'm happy for you."

"Thanks."

She smiled again and squeezed his hand gently before leaning forward and hugging him. Opie returned the affection, she pulled back and kissed his cheek before they joined the rest of the people in the bar and caught up even more on everything that had passed.

Tara wanted to call Jax immediately and tell him who she had just seen but she couldn't. The thought weighed heavily on her. Lyla was still kind of unsure of what had just happened; confused about the entire situation while the guys were just happy the young woman was back. They felt it was good news they needed.


	2. Chapter 2

**As the story progresses, its more from Alex's point of view but to avoid confusion, I'll let everyone know what episodes are being included.**

Chapter 2

Alex left later that night after catching up over many drinks and headed home. She was tired but infinitely happier than she thought she would be being back in Charming. She went about unlocking her door and walked inside, the happiness gone when she saw the boxes scattered everywhere. Grumbling her annoyance, Alex closed the door and went about unpacking everything that she had brought with her out of storage. It wasn't much, but it was all she needed.

She took the kitchen first, pulling a box onto the countertop and started to unpack it. The thing was heavy and she knew why. It was filled with her dishes, all wrapped in that packing paper that was harder to clean up then bubble wrap. But it was cheaper too.

The young woman unwrapped them all and set them on the counter before throwing the packing paper into the box and tossing it to the ground. She kicked it to the side before lifting the plates and attempting to put them into the cabinet. Her arms barely made it to the bottom shelf before pain radiated through her body.

The young woman bit back a cry and hurriedly shoved them into the cabinet before they crashed onto the floor. Her head spun from the pain as she instantly retracted her arms, holding them to her body tightly. Alex breathed heavily, fighting back the tears that threatened to break free. It hurt, more than she thought. At this point, she had expected the scars to heal. Apparently she was wrong.

It felt like something burst in her side, enough to make her want to check. No matter how healed she was, it hurt worse than she thought ever possible. Hell, she couldn't even lift her arms higher than her shoulder. That wasn't going to work.

When she walked into the bathroom, Alex lifted her shirt to inspect herself. She eyed the marks on her chest, the ones that still showed pink from their freshness before turning to the side. Her eyes glassed over at the sight of the long, angry looking scar. Her brows pulled together as her fingers lightly traced the healing injury.

The haunting images of what happened surged through her brain. The power of them was almost strong enough to take her off her feet even now. It had been months and still they plagued her. She leaned forward, planting her palms on either side of her sink. Tears fell from her eyes, landing on the porcelain surface. Alex was about to break down and start crying again, her body already beginning to shake with the fear.

She took a few breaths steeling herself. Alex pushed the memories down as far as they could go, deep into the pit of her stomach before turning and making her way back into the kitchen to finish unpacking. She wasn't going to let her mind win. She wasn't going to keep suffering with what happened but no matter how much she repeated those words in her head, she still didn't believe them.

Sleep didn't come easily that night. Every sound seemed to wake her and even though she told herself she was safe, every barking dog or car horn would startle her from a deep sleep. This was the norm anymore and she hated it. Apparently not even being home was enough.

~~~!~~~

Alex called the shop in the morning for a tow. Opie was the one that showed. She smiled at the man as he stepped down from the flatbed she had requested, walking to meet him in the drive way.

"Hi." She laughed, shaking her head at the man's oil slicked face and hands.

"Hey," he smiled. "You need a tow?"

She nodded, turning to the garage door and lifting it. Alex cried out under the sudden weight and dropped it the few inches she had pulled the aluminum door. Opie moved to her side quickly to help her. She smiled as best she could as the man eyed her curiously, opening the garage door. Alex breathed heavily for a moment or two, panting as she tried to dull the pain.

"Thanks." She muttered, stepping inside.

"You hurt?"

She smiled weakly and shook her head.

"Nah. Just a little sore." She lied.

Opie nodded but didn't believe her. She didn't really expect him to when she moved to the side of a bike.

"This is what I needed to tow to the shop."

Opie looked at the bike and let a low whistle escape his lips.

"Fatboy. Not bad. '76?"

"'78." She corrected. "It was dads. I'm trying to fix it up."

"And you want to do it at the shop?"

She turned and smiled wide.

"Duh. Free tools and supplies."

He chuckled and shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked back at the bike.

"Not if it needs parts."

She stuck out her tongue like a child making the man smile to himself.

"Yeah well, if I had the tools and shit, I wouldn't need the garage."

"_You're_ going to work on this?"

Alex turned and gave the man a disbelieving look.

"Yeah," she scoffed. "Me. That so hard to believe?"

"Since when can you work on bikes?"

"Since I learned." She said sarcastically. "Now let's get this thing up on the bed and get it to the garage. _Okay_?"

"Still a smartass aren't you?"

"Again, duh." She said in the same tone as before. "Not everything changes."

He smiled and shook his head, moving forward and gripping the bike. He was glad it moved easily, the tires aired and making the bike so much better to handle.

Opie pulled it out of the garage and let it sit near the truck while he lowered the back. Alex moved to his side and crossed her arms in front of her body, eying the man out of the corner of her eye. Opie noticed and sighed.

"What?"

"Oh nothing." She chimed in a falsely sweet voice. He turned to face her completely this time. "Just glad to see you're not catatonic around me anymore."

Opie was grateful he had a beard. It helped hide the blush but Alex seemed to know anyway. Her smile widened.

"Haven't seen or talked to you in years. Not since you're wedding. I was kind of surprised." He defended. "You disappeared while I was inside."

"I know." She said, her voice fading slightly as the flatbed came to a rest. "I'm sorry about that."

Alex always felt kind of bad about that. She'd left Charming while Opie was on his third year in Chino. She was pretty sure he was pissed with her about that and had every right to be. She never even told him goodbye and not a day went by while he was locked up she didn't think about that, kicking herself for taking the coward's way.

He looked down at her to see her deep in thought about something. He wanted to ask but thought better about it. He let it lie as he loaded up the bike. Opie wasn't going to press her just yet about where she'd been over the past few years. Later, yeah he would grill her about being in a cult or something, but not until he was sure it wasn't going to scare her off.

The two hopped in and made their way towards the shop. Not even out of the neighborhood yet, Opie felt Alex grab his hand. He looked down at it and smiled to himself, letting her lace her fingers in his and held her hand. It felt like back in the day again.

They pulled up to the shop soon enough and Opie unloaded the bike, pushing it into one of the spare and less used bays. Alex thanked him and went about dismantling the motorcycle that belonged to her dad. She worked in her own world, not aware people would glance at the out of place young woman. She was intensely focused on what she was doing until she stretched too far again. Alex bit back a loud groan, holding her side.

She dipped her head as the throb moved through her body again. She needed pain pills. Therapy wasn't working it seemed and she had run out of meds a while back. She needed something to help with this because it was interfering with her day to day.

With an annoyed sigh, Alex made her way into the office where Piney was sitting. He looked up and smiled.

"Hey darling."

"Hey," she smiled back. "You wouldn't happen to have the number for a cab or something would you?"

"Leaving already? You've only been here for an hour."

"I'm coming back. I just have an errand to run I forgot about and I left my car at home."

"Just have my boy take you back."

"No, I can't do that. He's working."

Piney rolled his eyes and whistled. Opie and everyone else turned but he was the only one that walked forward, assuming his dad wanted him. Alex just put her hand on her face, shaking her head slightly.

"Take Alex home." Piney said simply when Opie made it to the doorway.

Opie was confused for a moment.

"I said I can take a cab." She repeated.

"No, I got it." Opie offered. "Come on."

She rolled her eyes and glared lightly at Piney before following Opie out of the bay and towards the row of motorcycles. The old man only chuckled to himself and went back to the clerical work he hated so much. He might have been teasing, but he needed something to break up the day.

"You don't have to take me home you know." She told him as he threw his leg over the bike.

Opie turned and handed her a spare helmet.

"It's fine."

She stuck out her tongue at having to be tended to and pushed the helmet onto her head. It sank forward which seemed to make Opie chuckle.

"You have a melon head." She said under her breath.

"So I've heard."

Alex moved up behind him, throwing her leg over the bike as he straightened it up and started the beast. She'd ridden on bikes before and wrapped her arms around his body, holding closely to try and keep the weight close so they wouldn't topple. That was something she'd done before too.

When Alex was only about fourteen and her dad took her on the bike, she pulled back from him just enough to shift the weight. He laid the bike down and she managed to break her leg, so yeah, never again. Once was enough.

Opie focused on driving as much as he could as he headed back towards the young woman's house. Alex was wrapped around the man, her arms clamping down on his chest, her face buried against the back of his shoulders. He suddenly felt fifteen again and he didn't like it. Pushing the ridiculous butterflies in his stomach down, the big bad Man of Mayhem turned into her neighborhood and soon enough into her driveway.

With a sigh, Alex stepped off from the bike and was annoyed with the vibrating in her scars she could still feel. Opie propped the bike to the side and watched as she pulled the helmet off, handing it to him.

"Thanks for the ride." She smiled.

"No problem kid." He replied, tossing the spare back into his saddlebag.

"Kid?" she asked with a laugh. "Really? You're what, four months older than me? Five maybe?"

"Hey," he smiled. "More like six."

"Okay." She replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes in the process and making him chuckle.

"Coming back to the shop or do I need to lock up your ride?"

She made a childish face at his blatant teasing which only made him laugh again. Didn't matter how long she'd been gone or how much she'd changed, Alex was still an immature dork that could make damn near anyone love her and laugh.

"Nah, I'll be heading back. I just forgot about some errands and shit I had to run."

"Alright."

"Bye Opie."

She drew his name and spoke in an almost silly voice that made him grumble. Alex laughed to herself, the desired effect achieved.

"See ya Alex."

He started his bike and backed out of the driveway before disappearing down the street. She waved until he was gone completely before making her way back into the house. Alex walked inside, grabbed her purse and the things she might need before heading down to the local hospital. She needed meds and to find out if there was something wrong. The doctor said the residual pain shouldn't be this bad at this point so she wanted answers.


	3. Chapter 3

**Wow, that was quick interest. :) Who here was pissed and sad, raise your hand! I'm not going to say about what but you know what I'm talking about if you watch the show.**

**Thank you so much so far. I love it! Enjoy~  
**

Chapter 3

Alex walked through the halls towards the front desk to speak with the nurses of St. Thomas. She knew there was no telling what the wait would be like, but she didn't care. She was fine so long as she didn't move too much. After talking to the nurse, Alex made her way to the waiting room and sat.

Tara was walking through the halls on her own rounds, speaking with patients and so forth before spotting someone she hadn't expected to see. She paused in step just as Alex turned and took a seat. The doctor's brows pulled together the longer she watched her. No one was here, none of the club, so why was Alex?

It was a question she planned on answering later, using her pull in her job to do it. She knew she shouldn't, but Tara wanted to know so she would find out.

About a half an hour had passed by the time Alex had a doctor. If she wasn't still so 'fresh' she would have gone to some local quack, but part of her was worried her injuries weren't healing right.

"Miss Walker?"

Alex looked up. She had been sitting as still as possible in the examination room near the ER just so she wouldn't have to hear the paper covered bed crunch beneath her. The throb had turned dull but was still present and it concerned her. By now, her other doctors, all four of them, told her the pain should have subsided at this point. It hadn't.

The young woman was surprised by the sudden sound of the newcomer, but smile regardless.

"Yeah." She said kindly.

"Well hi. I'm doctor Bower." He grinned, the man in white walking in with her chart. "What can I do for you today?"

"Uh, well I'm kind of worried I'm not healing like I should." she said honestly, fidgeting in the paper gown she had put on over her bra and jeans.

"Um-hm." He muttered absently, taking a seat on the small black rolling stool across from her, his eyes never leaving her paperwork. "In which way?"

She glowered at the man that wasn't looking up at her but continued regardless.

"My scars are still pulling pretty bad and I feel sore. Everything kind of hurts no matter what I do unless I just sit there."

"Um-hm." He said again before looking up at her and smiling kindly again. "How do you feel right now?"

"Fine for the most part." She answered, knowing he probably thought she was a junkie looking for meds to score. "I stretched too far earlier so my side still hurts a little, but fine I guess."

"How long ago did you do this?"

She shrugged.

"An hour or so ago."

"Um-hm. Stand please?"

She slid off the bed and stood in front of the doctor. He scooted closer.

"Turn to the side for me and I'm going to lift the gown okay?"

She nodded, not bothered because she was wearing her pants, but she was slightly worried he would have cold hands. Stupid that was the worst worry she had, but cold hands still sucked.

The doctor lifted her gown and eyed the scar that started right beneath her left armpit and ended about one rib up from the bottom of her ribcage. In total, the thing was probably about six inches long and he was sure had to hurt. He poked it gently and prodded the relatively fresh injury hearing her wince and suck in a sharp breath whenever he hit something particularly painful.

"Well, there hasn't been an infection during your healing process has there?" he asked, lowering the robe.

"No, but they had me on a half dozen antibiotics too."

He chuckled at her comment.

"I'd imagine you had a hefty handful to take every few hours."

"Basically." She grumbled.

He still smiled at the thought and motioned for her to sit before he stood.

"I'm going to look at your chest now, okay?"

She nodded and shrugged off a shoulder of the robe, her eyes instantly traveling away from the man that was going to 'ogle her goodies'. Alex knew that obviously wasn't what the doctor was going to do (or she hoped) but that's how she felt having to be nearly topless, only wearing a bra.

He gently touched the mark near her left shoulder, just beneath her collar bone and again she hissed. He moved to the next one a little to the right, a little lower and closer to the top of her breast. Again she hissed when he touched it and finally the doctor came to the circular wound in the center of her chest, nestled right in her cleavage. He pressed on that one harder and she couldn't help herself.

"Ow!" she snapped, smacking his hand away from her.

"I'm sorry." He nearly chuckled but her eyes were welling with inadvertent tears from the throbbing pain he had caused. "I had to see how your sternum was healing up. It's good by the way."

She openly glared hatefully at the man. Hearing that the bone was healing did little to quell the anger at him poking her.

"Can I check your back?"

"Are you going to poke the ever loving shit out of it?" she asked snarkily.

"I'll try not to." He said honestly.

Reluctantly, Alex nodded and turned around so the doctor could open the back of the robe. It was easier to examine her back given this was where the ties to the robe were, not to mention there were fewer injuries. On the back of her left shoulder was a bigger scar than on the front but it was healing as well. Again he poked and he did his best not to anger the young woman again. Even though there were a couple more scars on her back, this was the only one that was important.

"Okay." He said, walking back to his stool and sitting again.

Alex shrugged on her paper robe again and regained her seat on the bed. She sat there, trying not to slouch too much cause like everything else it hurt, and watched as he wrote something in her file. A moment later, he reached behind him and grabbed his prescription pad.

"I'm going to write you a prescription for some low dose painkillers. You're healing as well as can be expected and you're not at risk for infections anymore," he began.

"For once." She mumbled.

He smiled to himself.

"But you're obviously still tender." He continued before ripping the paper from the pad and handed it to the young woman. "This is for another two months. That should be plenty of time for everything to heal enough there's no more pain, at least not to the degree you've expressed. Now it's a heavy medication, but low dosage so you can still function with your normal day to day. Are you doing your exercises?"

She glared, not liking that he knew about those when he went back to his note pad and kept writing.

"When I can."

The man looked up at her through his eyebrows with slight disappointment like a father would. She didn't like it and it immediately put her on the defensive.

"Well, I've been busy moving back for the past week or so." Alex defended.

He nodded, ripped off the new chunk of paper and handed it to her.

"This is for a cream for your scars. The one on your side looks like it might turn hypertrophic."

She cocked a brow, adding the piece of paper to her apparently growing collection.

"Huh?"

"They're raised scars. They generally stay a pink or even a red color and are usually raised higher than the regular skin level. That cream should help keep that from happening or at least keep it from rising. It may still be slightly discolored."

"Oh joy of joys." She replied in a thickly sarcastic voice.

"Is there anything else?" he chuckled.

Alex took a breath and thought about it before shaking her head.

"No. I think that's it. Should I come back for a check up or anything?"

"Well, I'd say use the cream and medication for about three weeks and come on in so we can see how it's going, but not unless you are still having pain."

She nodded as he stood.

"Have a nice day Ms. Walker."

She nodded and forced a smile as he walked out, closing the door behind him. Alex rolled her eyes immediately, shoving the papers into her back pocket and began to put her shirt back on. She had her sleeves on and was in the process of buttoning the front when the door suddenly opened. Expecting it to be here doctor again forgetting something, she only glanced up at the familiar face.

"Oh I'm sorry…" the young doctor blurted quickly.

Tara had opened the door and apparently meant it as an accident. She froze instantly while Alex stood there, her fingers in the process of buttoning her shirt and only halfway up when the intruder showed up.

She eyed Tara who was staring intently at her chest. Alex knew instantly what the young woman was staring at and went back to her task, this time turning her back to Tara.

"See something you like Knowles?" she asked without a thought to hide her irritation.

"I thought this room was empty." Tara said, still stunned from what she'd seen.

Alex buttoned the last one on her shirt and turned.

"Uh-hm." She said sarcastically before walking passed Tara and into the halls to leave.

Alex was right. Tara knew this was the room she had gone into and was planning on using it as an excuse but she had been distracted by what she'd seen. When she opened the door, she saw Alex doing her shirt but it was the injuries that stopped her dead in her tracks. She didn't know what she thought she'd see, but she hadn't expected that. Round, jagged scars darted across the young woman's skin, in stark contrast to her fair complexion and easily visible. It was enough to make an uneasy cold surge through Tara's veins.

~~~!~~~

Like she said she would, Alex made her way back to the shop. Parking off to the side opposite the bikes, Alex got a few looks from people until they recognized who was driving the car. Afterwards they went back to work. She locked up her car, checked her watch for when the prescriptions would be filled, and walked into the bay to her father's bike. She went back to work, removing the rest of the engine she knew needed to be rebuilt.

"You sure took your sweet ass time."

Alex smiled to herself. She would have been surprised by the voice if Opie didn't have such heavy feet. She heard him come up behind her. Taking the carburetor in her hands, she turned and set it down, smiling at the man reaching for a tool in the box between them. He grinned crookedly at her.

"Awe. You think my ass is sweet." She teased with a wink.

Opie blushed slightly under his beard as she giggled and turned back to the bike. He went about his work too, forgetting Alex was such a smart ass, but smiled to himself regardless.

By closing time, Alex had made a decent amount of headway with the bike and was happy to start it up again for a while tomorrow. Dog was locking the last bay door, Piney saying goodbye to Alex before riding off. When he had, she turned to Opie.

"Hey Ope," she called, walking towards him.

The young man turned as he buckled his helmet, already sitting on his bike. She walked towards him with her arms crossed and he could tell she was apprehensive about what she was about to say.

"Can I ask you a favor?"

He raised a brow, his hands on his handle bars.

"Yeah." He said skeptically.

"Can you stop by later and give me a hand with some of my stuff? Just the heavy shit."

He let a disbelieving laugh leave his lips.

"You don't have to but there's some shit I can't do and I know you've got your kids and Lyla waiting at home."

She was backpedaling, trying to give him a way out and he knew it.

"No it's cool. Might be a while though. Lyla made dinner I think."

"That's fine. I'll probably be up for a while anyway."

He nodded before starting his bike.

"I'll give you a call when I'm on my way okay?"

She nodded and smiled, stepping back as he drove off before moving to her own car and leaving. Alex still had to stop by the drugstore and grab her crap before heading home anyway, and she figured she might as well pick up some food too. She felt bad asking him for his help, but she honestly couldn't do some of the unpacking alone. There were things like putting her bed together and shit that needed two people to begin with, but there were boxes in her garage she couldn't lift to bring into her house too. Alex needed help whether she liked it or not and of everyone she knew she could ask, the Sasquatch was her best hope.


	4. Chapter 4

**This one is a little long but i couldn't find anywhere good enough to stop it so I just kept it all together. Let me know what you think!**

Chapter 4

Opie pulled up to Alex's house about two hours later. He had stayed home, eaten with and put his kids to bed before heading to help her. He knew she'd understand.

He cut off his bike and leaned it to the side before walking up to her door. He knocked. She didn't answer. He knocked again and this time heard the distinct sound of a shotgun raking. Cold swept down Opie's back for a split second.

"Alex it's me!" he called quickly.

Opie stepped as far the side of the door as he could to avoid the shotgun blast through the wooden block between them. He was relieved when he heard the lock unlatch and she opened the door to see him. He looked at her worriedly, his brows up as he forced a smile.

"Expecting someone?" he asked sarcastically.

"Sorry Opie." She mumbled, letting him passed her and into the house.

"The fuck you need a shot gun for?"

She paused for a moment and thought about the best way to lie.

"It's dark and someone randomly knocks at my door. I'm by myself."

"Yeah, but you knew I was coming."

"Didn't know when." She shot back quickly. "You didn't call like you were supposed to."

"Well rapists and shit don't knock."

She was going to rebut but nothing came to mind.

"Fine." Alex relented, taking the shotgun into the hall as she walked towards her room. _"In here!_"

Opie looked around and followed her. He heard Alex set the heavy metal object on something so finding her was easy enough. That and she really only had a few doors in the hall to begin with. This place wasn't a mansion, barely more than two bedrooms and a single bathroom. A little hard to get lost or lose someone.

"So what'd you need?" he asked, pulling off his jacket and cut as he walked into her room.

"Right now I'd like to put my bed together so I don't have to sleep on the floor again." She smiled.

"Fair enough I guess." He chuckled, rolling up his sleeves. "Where is… are you kidding me?"

Opie had paused to look around only to notice a massive headboard leaning up against the far wall, a footboard to match complete with four posters. No wonder she couldn't put it together alone, the thing was huge and likely weighed a ton. When he turned to her, he saw her smile at him as innocently as she could.

"This blows." He sighed, not about to tell her no.

"Oh come on." She whined. "I'll give you beer."

"Well get to it woman." He snapped.

Her jaw dropped open but he was laughing so she knew he wasn't serious. Still, she hit him as she walked by. She punched him harder than she normally would but Alex felt like he deserved it. Opie chuckled and rubbed his arm from the contact as she went to the kitchen for drinks. He turned and eyed the bed, the smile leaving his lips.

"Well shit." He sighed to himself.

He moved towards the objects and leaned the footboard forward to judge the weight. It was heavy but not bad. The problem he knew was the headboard was worse.

"It's not bad." Alex said, walking in and handing him a beer. "Just can't do it by myself."

"Maybe I should charge two beers." He grumbled, taking a drink.

"Shut up." She smiled, moving towards the mattress. "You love me."

He smiled to himself. He did, but didn't know why most of the time. Alex knelt down and lifted the mattress, leaning it back against the wall. She grunted from the pain. Her heavy ass King sized, memory foam topped mattress weighed a ton. Alex refused to let Opie know she was still in pain and pushed passed it, relieved when the item was against her wall. She hated it, but the thing was so comfortable it was great to lie on. The box springs were only twin sized and lighter so they were easy enough to toss up and out of the way, but Opie had noticed her previous reaction.

"Still sore?" he asked.

Alex glanced to him and heard the loaded question. She hesitated to answer and nodded.

"A little." She lied.

The man nodded, eying her suspiciously and the way she was favoring her left side. He wasn't an idiot despite what some people thought.

"Well give me a hand then." He replied, trying to make her think her believed her.

Alex nodded and walked forward. With Opie's help, she pulled the footboard out. He held it and moving quickly, she snapped in the metal supports. Opie let it go to lean where it was before he grabbed the headboard and she repeated the action. With it upright, Alex went to grab the middle support for the box springs and stood in the center. Opie noticed the drill off to the side with a set of four inch screws and knew what to do. Without telling him, he grabbed the supplies while she held the support in place. Within minutes, maybe ten at the most, the entire bed frame was put together. Alex loved being around people she didn't have to have constant dialogue with. Opie knew what she needed and vice versa. God it made things so much easier.

Opie moved the empty frame, shoving it against the wall the head of Alex's bed had been. When she threw them to the side, she propped them on their sides, knowing there wasn't room in her bedroom to do otherwise. Besides, knocking them sideways onto the frame was so much easier.

When she tossed the first box spring down, Opie didn't hesitate to step into the frame and position it. With it moved, she dropped the second, but those weren't the hard parts. Alex looked at her mattress and knew it was going to take some slight twisting to do it and she wasn't up to twisting. Her brow pulled together and Opie noticed.

"You have one of those dust things?"

She glanced to the man in confusion.

"Huh?"

"That thing that goes under the mattress."

"A dust ruffle?" she laughed.

"Yeah, that." He smiled.

"I think so. Why?"

"Go ahead and put it down. I'll toss on the mattress." He told her, knowing she was likely hurt and unwilling to let him know.

"Uh… yeah sure."

Alex turned and quickly began to go through the box with the rest of her bedding stuff in it. Sure enough, she found the dust ruffle and started to throw it onto the box springs. Opie readied himself and grabbed the mattress. With a loud thwack, it landed hard and after some clever maneuvering, was in place. Alex smiled proudly at her bed before jumping into it. Opie shook his head and laughed at her.

"What?" she asked with a smile, her arms out to the side, legs spread. She looked like she was about to do a snow angel on her bed.

"Nothing." He replied, still smiling and rubbing his chin.

"Well try it." Alex offered, sitting up and moving towards the top corner of the bed.

"I'm good."

"Whatever." She scoffed. "When was the last time you dive bombed a bed? Honestly?"

"When I was twelve."

"You're a liar. You were like… twenty."

Opie rolled his eyes and shook his head at her.

"Do it once and I'll drop it."

He looked like he was weighing his options before deciding it was easier to go with whatever Alex said than argue with her. He knew he was going to look like an idiot, but he also knew it was kind of fun too. Reluctantly, Opie leapt up onto the bed and instantly sank into its surface. He groaned, encompassed in the soft plush-ness, a smile touching his lips. Alex laughed.

"My bed's the shit." She giggled, crawling down and lying beside him on the massive king.

"I think I might steal this thing."

"Good luck getting it out of the house." She smiled.

A smile touched his lips, but his eyes had closed. He couldn't help it. This thing was making every muscle in his body relax to the point he was nearing sleep.

"Don't fall asleep." Alex finally said, shoving the man's side as she sat up and scooted off the bed. "You're woman might get pissed."

He chuckled slightly, knowing Lyla was more uncomfortable around Alex than jealous. Yet. This would make it worse. Whether he wanted to or not, Opie groaned and sat up just as the sound of a pill bottle touched his ears. His eyes narrowed curiously. He hadn't realized she was gone or felt her move off the bed. It was a testament to how great the mattress was. Alex was in the bathroom and he heard the distinct sound of pills rattling around inside a relatively full bottle.

Skeptical, Opie slid off the bed as silently as he could and walked to the bathroom. He glanced around the corner and noticed Alex taking two horse pills into her hands and throwing them into her mouth before drinking some water to swallow them. She looked down, her brows pulled together.

"You okay?"

His sudden voice made her jump. Instantly, Alex snatched the bottle and hid it behind her back as she faced him, a useless attempt given the mirror behind her. Her side was throbbing and wanting it to fade so she could actually sleep tonight, Alex had snuck away to take her medicine. The problem was she didn't want Opie to know for very plausible and very personal reasons.

"Jesus Opie." She hissed.

She hadn't expected him and her behavior only made him even more suspicious. Slowly, anger began to course through him at the thought of her using.

"Popping pills now?" he asked in a dangerous voice, moving forward and reaching behind her.

Opie snatched the pills away from her easier than she thought he would. He grabbed the bottle and read the label, moving passed her name and the milligram dosage to see the brand. His anger grew.

"Percocet? The fuck you taking Percocet for?" he demanded angrily.

"I have a prescription for those Opie." She snapped heatedly.

She tried to grab them but the limited area and his size was making it hard. Opie turned his back to her and stepped into her room to have more space to push her back if he had to.

"Yeah, you and every other junkie I've met."

"I'm not a fucking junkie!"

"How long you been on this huh?" he asked. Opie was having trouble controlling himself. Something about Alex, his little sister and so forth, taking pain pills when she was fine hit him harder than normal. He always hated prescription pills and given her parents, it hit close to home too. "Isn't that the same shit your mom said?"

That was the wrong thing to say. Anger flashed in her eyes and he knew she was furious. Alex made one desperate reach for the pills but it was too far. Instantly, the crippling pain shot through her body and she crumpled to the ground. She had cried out the second she felt it burn in her side. She grabbed the scar on her ribcage and curled into herself. Opie hadn't expected that reaction and suddenly felt horrible when she started shaking.

He bent down and gently grabbed her sides to help lift her up. Alex cried out again when his gorilla hand touched her scar. He immediately let her go.

"Just don't touch me." She muttered in a broken voice, curled into herself. She was still shaking and trying desperately to make the throbbing stop, panting heavily with trembling gasp. "Fuck…" she breathed, slowly planting her palms on the ground and pushed herself up.

Opie didn't know what to do. He wanted to help her but she said not to touch her. So he didn't.

Eventually, she turned herself around enough to sit on the ground, her back against the footboard of the bed they had just put together. He could see her face and started to understand how much she hurt. Her brow was pulled together tightly, her cheeks flushed and glassy from spilled tears. She was breathing deeply through her nose and out her mouth for a minute or two before opening her eyes.

"You're lucky I love you Ope," she told him as he knelt down in front of her, her voice quivering. "Cause I'd kill you right now if I didn't."

He forced a smile.

"The hell happened?"

A weak laugh left her lips as Alex's head moved back. She stared at the ceiling, images flashing through her brain and making the wounds all over her body ache whether they were new or not.

"I had surgery." She finally said, picking her words carefully.

Alex could tell he was genuinely concerned from the expression written across his face as he sat across from her and leaned against the wall behind him, just to the right of her dresser. She didn't want to look at him. She couldn't. Opie seemed to know she wouldn't and brought his leg up, resting his arm on his propped knee.

"What happened to you babe?" he asked somberly.

A weak laugh left her lips that sounded like little more than a breath. She shook her head, still refusing to look at him when she sniffed and new tears fell from her eyes.

"I never should've left Charming." She muttered, her voice shaking. "Everything went to shit after that."

His brow pulled together slightly. She didn't leave Charming until she got married. Opie didn't want to think about it, but a horrible thought was creeping into his head.

"Emmett do something to you?"

Another weak, disbelieving laugh left her throat. Alex bit her bottom lip in an attempt to silence herself up, to keep from speaking but she couldn't.

"Yeah, he did something to me." she breathed. Opie felt his gut turn. Alex on the other hand felt the drugs begin to kick in and it was increasingly difficult to shut herself up.

He rubbed his mouth, his sadness for her turning into a personal vendetta. Anger lapped within him. If there was one thing you didn't do, it was raise a hand to your woman. If there was one thing you really didn't do, it was raise your hand on _this_ woman. It would be the same as if someone hit Gemma, Lyla or Tara. You touch them; you fuck with the whole club.

Rage boiled inside him and Opie leapt up to his feet quickly, every fiber of his being springing to life. Without warning, he reacted to every baser instinct he had and threw his fist deeply into the wall behind him. The drywall crumbled around his massive hand, some of it hitting the ground as he pulled it back, his knuckles barely red. Alex had jumped from the sudden crack, glaring at him for causing property damage.

"Where's he at?"

Alex looked up at the man, her head and body heavy, her eyes dropping shut. He could tell the drugs were kicking in. She probably should have eaten before taking the medication.

"Who?"

"That piece of shit." He snapped angrily. "Where is he?"

Alex shrugged, one unintelligible word leaving her lips that was most likely 'I don't know'. Opie growled under his breath. He knelt in front of her again, holding her jaw gently and making sure she was looking at him. Her intense green eyes were dulling from her medicine, barely focusing on the man six inches in front of her face.

"Where is he Alex?" he repeated, his voice still stern and dark.

"I don't know." She said clearly this time.

He growled, his head dipping for a moment before his clouded eyes met hers again.

"You don't have to protect him."

She could barely hear the words he forced through clenched teeth. Her brows pulled together curiously.

"I'm not." She said honestly. "I don't know where he is. No one does. After the shooting, he booked it. Cops can't even find him."

"The shooting?" Opie demanded, a hint of disbelief in his voice.

Her eyes suddenly went wide like she couldn't believe the words actually came out of her mouth. Alex's jaw hung slack as she tried to think of how to take it back, but she couldn't.

"I…. need to go to bed." She finally said, trying her best to stand up. Evidently having a bit of whiskey in your system and no food when you took painkillers was a bad idea. They should put that on the label…

Opie moved forward and helped her stand, making sure she didn't fall on her way around the bed. Alex sat heavily, Opie still desperately wanting an answer. The young woman looked dazed, her fingers still lightly scratching at her side.

The biker's eyes traveled to the area. He glanced back up to her as she lay down on the bed. She didn't have a pillow and looked like she was deep in her druggy thoughts. Ope stood and grabbed the pillow off the ground and offered it to her. Alex took it from him and laced it under her head. Her eyes slowly moved to his and he wasn't sure why, but Opie felt like she was telling him what he wanted to do was okay.

The large man took a seat beside her on the bed, barely sitting on the small patch of free mattress between her and the edge of the bed. He stared for a moment at the left side of her body where her fingers had previously been. He wanted to know but the apprehension growing in his chest made him pause.

Hesitantly, Opie's hand came forward and gently took the hem of her shirt. Alex still watched him and moved her hand out of the way as he slid the shirt up her side. Opie felt a pit grow in his stomach. He wasn't sure if he really wanted to see whatever might be there. He breathed easier the longer he pulled it up and there was nothing to be seen, until the tip of a pink scar met his eyes. The pit came back and grew the longer he pulled the shirt up to see the damage done.

"Fuck." He breathed, still capable of seeing the small punctures from where sutures had been placed and removed.

At seeing his face and the expression marring it, Alex's tears came back. She rolled her head to the side in an attempt to shield herself from Opie's reaction. The problem was, this wasn't even the worst of it. He couldn't tear his eyes away from it, even going so far as to lightly touch it with his callused fingers before her hand swooped in to cover it. Opie managed to break away from the injury.

His eyes traveled to her in time to see Alex plant her palms over her face and begin to cry. She rolled away from him, curling into herself again. It broke his heart to see her like this again. It wasn't any easier now then it had been when she was a kid years ago.

Opie found himself crawling up into the bed and the moment he had, she swung around and hugged him tightly. Alex curled into his chest and clung to him as though he would save her from the horrible things that happened so long ago. Opie lay there, immobile as she cried. He felt like he was seventeen again, reassuring her after she lost someone else in her life. He'd done it twice before, letting her cry into his shirts because she was hurt, and now was no different.

Opie's mind swam with all manners of horrible things to do to the man if they ever found him. Emmett wouldn't escape. He couldn't. There were SAMCRO all over the country and a few chapters not too far from here. Jax and everyone else was coming home soon and once he told them that son of a bitch put his hands on Alex, they'd rally without hesitation. Alex was the only girl to grow up in SAMCRO and they were all her dads, her uncles and her brothers.

After about twenty minutes, Alex had fallen silent and stopped moving. Her hand clenched tightly to the middle of his shirt but she stopped shaking and balling a while ago. Opie looked down, too busy plotting torture of her husband to fall asleep, and saw her breathing slowly. He waited a few minutes before attempting to move, wanting to be sure she was actually asleep. The problem was, no matter how deep her sleep, she'd wake easily. A hazard of her marriage.

Opie tensed enough to start sliding out from under her when Alex woke up. She breathed deep and slowly opened her eyes. Opie looked down just as she tilted her head up to see him. He forced a smile.

"Heading out?" she asked dreamily.

"Yeah." He answered in the same low voice. "I need to head home."

She nodded, slowly moving back just enough for Opie to stand. He reluctantly turned and sat on the edge of the bed, ready to stand when he turned to look at the young woman.

"Do I need to lock the doors?"

"Hm?" she looked up, opening her eyes and sighed slightly. "No. I'll do it."

He wanted her to stay in bed, but part of him knew Alex would check around anyway. He stood and moved enough so she could do the same, watching her protectively and gauging whether or not she could even stand under her own strength. Alex wavered, the blood rushing from her head and making her temporarily dizzy. The pain killers were good shit.

He smiled to himself when she laced her fingers through his and together they walked through the hall and to the front door. The large man glanced repeatedly down to her, Alex's eyes focusing on nothing in particular as she walked with heavy steps to the front door. He turned and faced her, still holding onto her hand like the protective older brother he felt he was.

"Your windows locked?"

She nodded loftily. Slowly her heavy head leaned back enough to meet his eyes.

"Yeah, I think so." She answered quietly.

"Backdoor?"

A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.

"Yeah."

"Garage?"

This time she giggled and nodded.

"Yeah Opie. I think I've got it."

He nodded, his eyes scanning the room for a moment before looking back to her and forcing a smile. He bent down and hugged her as tightly as he dared, unable to get the image of her scar out of his mind while she clung to him almost as desperately as she had before. He felt her bury her face into his neck, just beneath his beanie.

"I love you Opie." She mumbled into his skin.

"Love you too Alex." He replied in a thick voice.

He squeezed her a bit tighter than before, knowing she'd say something if it hurt, but she didn't. Alex didn't want him to leave because his hugs were always the best. He was so big, Opie would swallow you whole in his arms and you'd never feel safer in your life. But he had a family, a very soon to be wife and kids that would miss him if he didn't come home.

Opie hadn't put his jacket back on yet, looping it over his arm for the walk, but that didn't stop her from grasping his shirt tightly again. Eventually, the two knew they had to break their contact and unwillingly did just that. Alex pulled away from Opie and forced a smile, the young man resting his forehead on hers.

"You're home, okay? You got the Club now." He told her quietly.

She nodded and forced a smile. It was the best she could do. She knew once he was gone, she was going to feel like the frightened little girl Emmett had turned her into. He nodded too as though solidifying their random agreement before dipping down and kissing her cheek.

With a heavy hearted wave and goodbye, Opie left. He stood outside her door until he heard every lock she had latch behind him. It made him feel about as good as it did Alex. Shrugging on his jacket, Opie made an internal note to have the Prospects take turns watching her house. He didn't like that this asshole was in the wind and he liked even less that he obviously didn't have a problem causing her harm. He felt sick thinking about what else Emmett had done to her while she was away. Suddenly the 'no contact' for the past few years made sense. Abusers don't tend to let their victims contact with men they knew would kill them.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Alex got little sleep and the sleep she did get was inundated with the same memories and nightmares as her waking moments. She thought seriously about shooting the damn dog next door. To be honest, she held the shotgun for a while, contemplating shooting the fucking thing because every single sound made the thing bark until the sun came up. The drugs had helped but marginally. She was still exhausted and irritated that her day was plagued by the laborious task of unpacking.

After about four or five hours of unpacking by herself in the house, putting things away and cleaning, Alex decided she needed to be around people. She grabbed her things, secured the house and strapped her knife to her hip before heading to the shop. If anything, the fresh air and the knowledge no one would fuck with her at the shop was comforting.

When she drove up, Opie, Gemma and Dog were there. Chibs was apparently making runs to grab a vehicle or something cause the tow truck was gone and there weren't anymore people around to help out. That, and his bike was still there. With the shop as busy as normal and with half the crew gone, more than half really, the guys were stretched thin. She knew they had to appreciate the overtime though.

She waved to Dog, smiled at Gemma in her office and went to the bike in the corner, still set up like she'd left it. She breathed deep and relaxed slightly before grabbing some tools and getting to work. It didn't take long before she heard footsteps behind her.

"How you feelin'?"

A smile tugged at the corner of Alex's lips as she turned to see the concerned Opie looking down at her, wiping his hands with a dirty rag. He could see how tired she was but he didn't know if it was from exhaustion or just everything else in her life.

"I'm fine." She told him kindly.

He didn't believe her and didn't hide it.

"You get any sleep?"

"A bit." She said honestly. "Really Ope, I'm fine."

"I'm gonna have one of the Prospects or something follow you home and stand guard tonight."

She laughed lightly and shook her head. Opie took a step closer to her, slightly annoyed at her refusal and closed the gap between them. He was towering over her and dipped his head down to speak quietly to the young woman. She felt his beard tickled her face and neck but waited for him to speak.

"I don't want anything to happen to you cause some asshole's a coward."

There was a stern edge to his voice as though he had to force himself not to yell. Alex smiled genuinely and looked down. Without answering, her hands came out and she hugged him. Opie returned the action sadly. She felt the butterflies in her stomach again, like when she was younger, but attributed it to finally being home. Nothing more.

"It'll be okay." She said softly. "I don't think he's stupid enough to try and kill me again."

She felt Opie's grip tighten slightly when an approaching car diverted their attention. The Crown Vic drove up the way and parked. Opie stood up straight, Alex turning to see the vehicle. They shared an apprehensive look before Opie released her and walked out to meet the car incase they needed something. Alex watched the display, the driver getting out speaking with Opie while another exited the passenger side. They talked before the stranger brandished a badge. Opie reluctantly looked up to Alex and she knew they were cops looking for her.

She walked forward, tossing her socket wrench down as she approached the two men. The stranger smiled to her as his partner joined his side.

"Mrs. Andrews?"

"Walker." She replied simply. "I never changed it."

The policeman nodded his understanding.

"Ma'am," he took out his badge and showed it to her, his partner doing the same. "I'm Detective Marshals and this is my partner Detective Boyd. We're with the Lodi police department. Can we have a word please?"

"Yeah, sure." She said before turning to the towering biker. "It's okay Ope."

He nodded to her reluctantly, glancing to the cops again before walking off towards the bay doors. Gemma was standing in the office, watching the display through the window. Her brows pulled together as she watched Alex cross her arms almost protectively over her body.

Gemma walked to the door of the office that led to the garage and called out to Opie. He was standing not too far off watching the cops too and slowly made his way towards the matriarch.

"The hell's going on?" she asked him, their eyes still on the trio in the parking lot. "Why are the cops here?"

"They're from Lodi." He answered. "It's probably got something to do with Emmett."

Gemma looked at him confused.

"What's her husband got to do with this?"

Opie looked sadly at the woman that was like his mom.

"He was beating her." He said simply. "He's missing."

"Jesus." She gasped, her attention returning to Alex while Opie hesitantly went to work.

Alex stood uncomfortably in front of the police for obvious reasons. She didn't want to be there and it wasn't as though they were giving her any good news.

"So there still hasn't been any contact from your husband?" he asked forcing her to cringe.

"No." she replied. "I haven't seen him or heard from him. Do you guys know where he is?"

Marshals looked uncomfortably to Boyd before shaking his head and meeting Alex's eyes again.

"No ma'am."

Her stomach dropped and anger started to come through, frustration that they weren't helping her like they should be.

"He's been missing for six months." She snapped. "How do you not know where he is? He's not that smart, trust me."

"Ma'am, any new information you could give us…" Boyd began.

"I've already told you people everything I know." She said, cutting him off quickly as her anger grew to the boiling point. "That mother fucker shot me, beat the shit out of me and just gets to walk away?!"

"He didn't walk away Ms. Walker. Now are you sure he wouldn't leave the country?"

She scoffed.

"Not until he finishes me off." She said angrily. Thinking better for a second, Alex calmed herself and shook her head. "Look, I don't know where he is so I don't know what you want from me. You sure he didn't get arrested for something else?"

"No ma'am. He hasn't been pinged in our systems." Boyd replied.

"Ms. Walker, we just wanted to make sure you didn't remember anything else." Marshal said in a calm voice. "We're still looking for your husband. We've got as many men as we can working your case. We haven't forgotten."

She nodded, appreciating that little fact for what it was and shook the men's hands before they turned to leave after giving her their contact information. She watched as the car backed out of the driveway and turned to leave. She stood there only for a moment before heading into the Club House. She needed a drink.

Gemma and Opie had been watching. The young man took a few steps forward only to see Gemma walking faster than him. She glanced over her shoulder and held up her hand, telling him silently to stay behind. Begrudgingly he did as she asked while she followed after Alex.

When she walked into the Club House, Alex was sitting at the bar in a stool with a bottle of Jack and a shot glass. She slammed back a drink and Gemma had a feeling it wasn't the first in the few minutes she had been there. The older woman sighed to herself as Alex poured another shot but wasn't about to stop her. The clicking heels made Alex glance to her side to see Gemma approach.

"Kind of early isn't it?" Gemma asked, taking a seat beside Alex as she drank the third shot.

"I'd say it's just about the right time." She muttered, pouring a fourth.

"Take it easy sweetie. We don't need you getting your stomach pumped before dinner."

Alex smiled weakly and left the shot on the bar surface, her fingers still holding it but she didn't drink it.

"Opie said that was Lodi PD. The hell they doing here?"

This time Alex took the shot.

"My piece of shit husband went missing." She answered, pouring more. "Apparently he didn't want to stick around after he thought I was dead. Go figure."

"Yeah… Ope said something about that too." She said under her breath. "Baby what happened?"

Alex shook her head slowly, her eyes starting to water again.

"I don't even know anymore." She said softly, her voice starting to crack. "I always swore up and down I'd never be with a guy that hit me or treated my like dog shit." Alex lightly twirled the shot glass in her fingers, the small piece moving along the bar's surface as she watched the liquid inside swish gently from side to side. "The first time he punched me I thought '_this won't happen again. He can't be this dumb_._ He does it again and I'll stab him myself'_." Gemma smiled slightly at that thought. "Then it happened again and I thought the same thing. Eventually, it happened so often, I didn't bother lying to myself anymore."

"Why didn't you call us? You know the guys would have ripped him to shreds the second they found him." Gemma sighed, unable to wrap her mind around what she was hearing.

Alex shrugged slightly, taking the shot and setting down the empty glass. She didn't refill it this time. Instead she lightly pushed the glass from side to side again as she blinked the silent tears free.

"He tore the phones out of the wall. I couldn't call anyone." She answered weakly. "After a while I just didn't give a shit anymore. Until the last couple of years."

Gemma's brows pulled together.

"Why?"

Alex rolled her head towards Gemma, still resting it in her other hand that was propped on the bar.

"Donna." She said. "I wanted to come to the funeral, but he wouldn't let me. Then I heard about you in the papers, a member being stabbed in Jax's house, a shootout at the funeral a few days later…" the tears began again as she turned to the mirrored surface behind the bar. "I finally couldn't take it anymore when it said everyone was arrested from a local motorcycle gang. I told him I was leaving to come home and we started fighting. This time I fought back and he didn't like it." Alex sighed, wiping her hand across her cheeks to rid them of the tears. "I remember him taking out his gun and telling me if I walked out that door, I wouldn't make it to the car…" she paused for a moment as though replaying the events in her mind. When she spoke again, her voice was barely above a whisper. "I didn't make it to the car."

"That son of a bitch." Gemma spat.

"Yeah." Alex muttered, running her fingers through her hair.

"And those pencil dicks still don't know where he is?"

Alex suddenly laughed happily at Gemma's remark, the first time she'd laughed in a long time it felt. Gemma smiled at her adoptive daughter. Before Alex spoke, Gemma leaned over and wrapped her arm around the young woman, pulling her over. Alex fell towards Gemma gracefully, resting her head on the woman's shoulder while Gemma lightly rested her cheek on the top of Alex's head, her hand cupping the young woman's shoulder.

"You know we'll rip that bastard's throat out right?" she finally said, rubbing Alex's shoulder lovingly.

"That's what Opie said." Alex replied, marginally surprised she wasn't concerned about Emmett's disembowelment.

A knowing smile crossed her lips as she held Alex.

"He cares about you, you know." Gemma said, still smiling.

"I care about him too."

Gemma's smile widened slightly.

"Oh please," she teased. "That boy's had a crush on you since grade school."

Alex pulled back, her cheeks slightly flushed and Gemma had a feeling it wasn't from crying. She only cocked a brow to the young woman, still smiling.

"I didn't know that." Alex said surprised.

Gemma rolled her eyes and stood from her seat.

"Maybe you should be called Opie instead." She joked. "You're staying here for a while right?"

"Oh please." She scoffed. Alex smiled at the motherly tone before standing and instantly wavering. She caught herself quickly on the barstool, Gemma hesitating to do the same. "Yeah. Might be a good idea."

Gemma rolled her eyes again, her hands coming to her hips at her stupid daughter.

"You remember where the dorm is right?" she asked.

Alex nodded, trying to keep the room from spinning. Apparently slamming four shots one after another wasn't a good idea. Who knew?

"Go sleep it off or something. I'll have Chucky bring you some coffee later."

"Yeah…" she breathed, slowly turning around to head to the dorm and making sure she didn't get sick.

Laying down, she might enjoy this, but not standing. Gemma only shook her head at the young woman and went back outside.

By the time Alex had laid down for a few moments, the euphoria of being drunk set in and a smile stretched across her face. She was sprawled out on the bed. It wasn't as nice as hers but it would do. Her eyes began to drift shut when the door opened. She looked over and saw Opie standing in the doorway eying her suspiciously.

"Hi Opie!" she beamed, not moving one inch.

A smile slowly crossed his lips.

"You're shit faced."

"Yup." She chimed, her head rolling back so she could stare at the ugly ceiling.

The man hesitantly walked into the room.

"That bad?"

"Yup." She repeated in the same voice. "Oh," she shifted to look at him again and pointed, her arm wavering severely. "Don't do four shots rapid fire. Those bastards sneak up on you."

He nodded slowly, the smile still on his face.

"I'll remember that." He chuckled at the drunk. "You're not on your meds too are you?"

Her brow creased tightly and it looked like she might be thinking.

"I don't think so." She replied finally. "No. I'm pretty sure I didn't take 'em."

"Good. I don't feel like driving you to the ER today."

"Blah, blah, blah, blah…" she mocked. "Hey! How come you never told me you had a crush on me?"

Opie's smile faded almost instantly. Her smile however widened and she pointed another unsteady finger at the man.

"You did!" She giggled. His eyes narrowed. "It's okay. I had one on you too."

The surprise touched his features again. A moment passed as everything set in and he couldn't fight the chuckle that left his lips. The situation he found himself in was that ridiculous. Shaking his head, Opie sat heavily on the edge of the bed. Alex bounced slightly and didn't like the way it made her stomach churn. Deciding to keep it settled, she sat up, scooting down to sit beside him. She leaned against his shoulder.

"Hell, if I'd married you, I wouldn't have had the shit knocked out of me." She teased.

It was a bad joke.

"I wonder what would have happened if we ever dated?" she asked almost as an after thought.

"Yeah well," Opie sighed. "I was with Donna for what, ten years? Right after graduation and then a couple years later you got married too and now I'm engaged again."

"Yeah." She breathed, her head falling onto his shoulder. "Life's a bitch."

"Most of the time." He mused quietly.

The two sat there quietly for a moment before Opie felt Alex's head move on his shoulder. He glanced down and realized she was craning her neck back to look at him.

"Gemma said you guys are going to cut Emmett open if you find him." She replied softly.

A smile tugged at the corner of Opie's mouth as he looked down at her glassy green eyes.

"If you want us to sure." He answered. "They guys get out in a couple days, we can all take a turn cutting something off."

"That'd be nice." She smiled, a weak laugh leaving her lips.

She seemed genuinely relieved by the planned death of her husband, something Opie found entertaining. In normal circumstances they wouldn't, but this wasn't a normal circumstance. Before he realized what was happening, Opie felt himself sink into her eyes. It happened a lot when he was a kid, their color unusual and beautiful just like the rest of her.

She was just as infectious when he was a kid. Everything started out with her just always being around, trying to be one of the guys and hang out with him and Jax. They wouldn't let her of course, being a girl and all, but that didn't stop her. She'd fight them just because, they'd push her around and she'd get right back up and deck them in the face. John and Piney thought it was funny as hell and so did her daddy. Then her mom started popping pills on a regular basis, heavy shit too. Her dad started drinking because of it and Gemma and Mary weren't going to let the little girl grow up in that when they were on their benders.

When they were going through withdraws or a spree, Alex was pawned off on one of the two families. Jax and Opie hated it until one night when she was about twelve, Opie only slightly older, and she was crying because she found her mom passed out on the floor in the kitchen in a pool of vomit with a gash on her head.

Apparently Cynthia had taken too many pills, drank too much liquor and passed out in the middle of making some food. She slammed her head on the countertop and puked in her stupor. Alex came home from school to see it and called 911, then Gemma. Gemma called Mary who was closer and home and Opie's mom went and got the little girl.

After that night, he didn't see her as the same annoying kid that followed him around. He saw her as a scared girl, one with a shittier life than he had and he felt bad for her. That sympathy soon turned into like and tolerance and when she was there to silently comfort him when Mary bailed, like became caring. It could have been love, he didn't really know given his raging hormones, but by the time he was dating Donna, he was sure she saw him as a brother and that was the role he took.

She had always been there either in the shadows or at their sides, her life entwined as much with theirs as anyone else's with her father's involvement in the club. Her horrible home life made her easy to care for and about. True all of them had shit lives in one way or another, but hers was just as bad. Then when her parents died before she graduated high school, she actually went to live with Gemma and Clay so he saw her even more than before if it were possible. Piney refused to let the girl out of his sight for long. The old man always wanted a little girl and he found one in her, the only girl born to SAMCRO that wasn't batshit crazy.

It was impossible for Opie not to feel something for Alex whether it was platonic or romantic love, he cared about her a lot and both brothers knew she loved them. So to be honest, no matter which level of caring he felt for her, seeing someone treat Alex like that was enough to make him homicidal and he knew Jax would agree. Hell, they've killed for less.

Opie's hand came forward and gently wiped the tears that were drying from her cheeks with his thumb. He forced a smile and she did the same. He moved and closed the miniscule gap to kiss her forehead.

"I'm sorry." He finally said.

Her brows pulled together confused.

"For what?"

"That shit I said about your mom." He sighed. "I thought you were doing the same stuff."

She shook her head slowly.

"I'm pretty much scared shitless that it'll happen so I'm pretty careful not to do it." She answered honestly.

He nodded but it did little to quell his guilt. It was still a shit move to bring it up. Deciding to end the conversation on a good note, he changed the subject.

"You need me to take you home later you lush?"

She smiled at his teasing words and slowly shook her head.

"No," she answered dreamily. "I should be fine later."

He nodded but his eyes locked with hers. Alex felt her stomach flutter and wondered if it were butterflies or the alcohol. Either way, she kind of liked it. The problem was, she had to force down that part of her brain screaming at her to kiss him. Opie's back tensed when he noticed her eyes moving slowly over his features before pausing momentarily on his lips. His did the same and like hers, stopped on her lips.

The two were suddenly very aware of how close they were and only one of them had a sober mind. The biker wasn't sure though if he really wanted to do anything about it. On the one hand, he'd get to kiss a chick that he's wanted to kiss since he was about thirteen. On the other hand, he was engaged. Over fifteen years of an urge versus a two year relationship. He didn't like how difficult it was becoming and decided to put an end to it.

Opie cleared his throat and turned abruptly to stare at the ground. He ran his hands tensely down his legs back and forth before she seemed to realize what had happened. She sat up about as quickly as he had turned away from her, her eyes staring at the stained carpet floor. They sat in silence for a moment, each as aware as the other what happened.

"I'm going to head back to work." He finally said, standing and moving towards the door. He turned when he reached the threshold. "You sure you're alright?"

She forced another smile and nodded.

"Yeah," Alex answered weakly. "Yeah I'm fine Opie."

He nodded reluctantly and turned to leave. Alex sat there for a moment before slamming the heel of her palm into her forehead at her stupidity and instantly regretting it.

"Ow…" she groaned, holding her forehead now and falling back into the bed.


	6. Chapter 6

**Okay, this is the season premiere. Now the chapters are going to start going along with episodes and I'll try to keep them as clear as possible. The SOA timeline's a bit wonky. lol. I also wanted to thank the people that have commented and all of the favorites and follows. It is truly appreciated. **

Chapter 6

(Ep.1 Out)

The sound of roaring bikes echoed off the walls. Alex turned and smiled at the congregation of bikers making their way up the drive. The crowd of friends and family began to cheer loudly, clapping their hands in joy and excitement. Alex felt her own heart racing with the emotion as one familiar face after another pulled into the parking spaces to her right.

She started wiping her hands on an old, dirty rag, ridding them of just enough grease she wouldn't tarnish the boys' cuts and waited for a moment as they parked completely. People swarmed the group for obvious reasons. Shoving the rag into her back pocket, Alex approached, her cheeks already hurting with how wide she was smiling.

"Oi!" she called loudly, making her way forward. Most of the people turned to the person randomly yelling. "Can't _I_ get a hello from you bastards?" she laughed.

"Holy shit!" Jax laughed, sauntering forward after he let go of his mother. "I heard the stories but didn't believe it."

"How ya doing Jackie?" she smiled, the man still walking towards her.

Jax laughed and closed the gap between them, Alex running at her brother. She slammed into him and hugged him tighter than she thought possible. Jax returned the action completely. Unlike the others, he'd been inside and hadn't had the chance to see her. She hadn't come to visit while they were in for a couple reasons, the main being she didn't want to take time from Tara and the boys. She wasn't sure she was considered family in his eyes anymore and didn't want to take time from those who hadn't left.

"Shit girl." He sighed, letting her go to look her over. "Been too god damn long."

"My sentiments exactly." She laughed.

Jax shook his head and lightly cupped her cheeks, pulling her forward and kissing her forehead before looping his arm around her shoulders. The two walked towards the others.

"Look who darkened our door again!" he called with a taunting laugh.

The other guys had already seen her and heard she was back, but they still laughed and smiled. Clay came up first and hugged her tightly, Jax walking off and joining Tara. He hugged her waist to him while Clay kissed Alex's cheek as he pulled back.

"How you been sweetheart?" he asked kindly.

"Better now that you guys are back." She smiled.

He patted her cheek lightly, Bobby coming up behind him. He hugged the young woman hard, squeezing her to the point it hurt but she laughed regardless. She couldn't help it. This was her family, no matter how delinquent or dysfunctional. When he pulled back, he kissed her cheek too, lovingly holding her jaw in his hands.

"You're lookin' good honey."

"You too Bobby. Heard about your bullshit with that ATF bitch."

He rolled his eyes and exaggerated a groan.

"I know. Fuck that bitch!" He declared loudly when Tig swooped in.

The man moved in and lifted Alex high into the air. He spun her around making her giggle like a little girl. He considered her the daughter he didn't fuck up.

"Fuckin' A!" he laughed loudly, setting her down and kissing the top of her head. "Bout god damn time you came home!"

She only blushed and nodded her agreement when he looped his arm over her shoulder, the two walking towards everyone else.

"So tell me what's new in the clean world?" he asked with a laugh.

"What the hell would you know about the _clean_ world?" she teased.

Tig laughed happily and nodded.

"You got me there sweetheart."

She mused over the thought when she noticed someone she didn't know.

"Who's this?" she asked loud enough for him to hear her.

"That's little Juicy." Tig teased, letting her go and walking off to grab a Crow Eater.

"Hey," she smiled, offering her hand to the young man with the Mohawk. "I'm Alex."

"Yeah," he smiled, shaking her hand. "I figured that. Juice."

She nodded to the man when Opie came up behind her. He put his hand on her shoulder, eying Juice skeptically. True the man smiled like an idiot a lot of the time, but this was different. With a warning glance to the shorter man, Opie looked to Alex.

"How you doing?"

"Ope I'm fine." She sighed with a smile. "Scout's honor."

He cocked a brow to her when she held up the solute.

"You weren't a scout." He replied.

"How would you know?"

"One, your ass would get kicked out the first week." He began before starting to walk towards the club house. "Two, you don't have a dick."

"That you know of!" she called after him.

Opie dropped his head between his shoulders, not looking back but she knew he was laughing. She was too at her stupid joke when she looked at a confused Juice. She only winked at him suggestively before moving towards Tara and Lyla.

The men all filed into the Club House one at a time for the meeting they were going to have, Tara and Gemma with the boys when Alex and Lyla joined them. Alex was playing slightly with Abel, helping him hold his coloring book in place while he scribbled.

"So, you guys ready to go shopping?" Lyla asked with a wide smile.

"I still don't know what the hell you plan on getting." Tara said, adjusting Thomas in his stroller.

"I'm not one for shopping sweetheart, but I'll watch the boys so you guys can go." Gemma offered, more than happy to get out of the 'younger' activities.

"Yeah, I don't know about this." Tara said apprehensively, glancing at Alex out of the corner of her eye.

Alex smiled to herself.

"Oh come on Tara." She said, looking at the doctor. "We both know the others isn't going anywhere so we might as well try to get along. After all, we know who the bigger hard ass bitch is."

There was a shared smile between all of the women.

"Me." Gemma, Alex and Tara answered suddenly in unison.

They couldn't help the laugh when Tara and Alex caught eyes.

"Gemma." They chimed.

"Damn right." Gemma mused, holding Abel in her lap.

Tara and Alex shared a smile, the mood lightened substantially when the young doctor nodded finally.

"Sure. What the hell?"

"Yay!" Lyla asked excitedly, unable to keep from being so when it was, after all, her wedding day.

"On the other hand…" Alex teased, receiving a glare from the blond.

~~~!~~~

Evidently Lyla had a particular aesthetic she wanted for her wedding and 'traditional' wasn't it. Riding in her Prius, the three young women pulled up to a porn store just outside town. Alex had a sneaking suspicion this was where most of Lyla's wardrobe came from. Sweet girl, truly, but not above showing way more skin than Alex felt comfortable doing.

Sex toys, dolls, videos with and without the bride on the cover and a wide array of sexy clothing lined every wall, every aisle and rack. It was amazing how lucrative the sex business was. Seriously, think about it. There is a thousand different ways to do or make one thing. That's a lot of money.

Alex found herself walking aimlessly down an aisle that seemed aimed at body glitter, glittery gel, lube, massage oils with and without scents and/or flavors and everything else that may be edible. Again, a thousand ways to make one thing. Amazing.

She was eying a small plastic container shaped like a genie's bottle with some kind of purple liquid inside. The label said it was lavender scented, glittery body massage oil. To be honest, it sounded nice, but it didn't smell that way. Alex had popped the top, lavender a hard fragrance to screw up and pleasant to smell, and instantly regretted it. The moment the scent touched her nose it burned. The noxious fumes instantly raced up her nose and down her throat, burning everything it touched. She closed the bottle as soon as she could to keep from spilling the swill when the coughing fit started.

"Jesus, are you okay?"

Alex stifled her coughing in hopes to talk as Lyla approached, concern touching her features. She held some fabric in her hands, lots of different colors but lacking substance. Alex figured it was lingerie. Pushing the thought of Lyla and Opie together out of her mind, Alex swallowed as hard as she could to try and breathe again but the 'flavor' of that crap was worse. She grimaced.

"Strong." She choked, clearing her throat before she could speak again. "It's strong."

Lyla smiled, noticing the purple bottle and quickly made a face.

"That stuff is shit." She replied, taking the bottle from Alex and replacing it on the shelves. Her eyes scanned the inventory before grasping a much less attractive bottle and handed it to Alex with a warm smile. "That stuff smells great, and the glitter doesn't scratch as much."

Alex nodded unsurely and took the bottle.

"Thanks…" she muttered. "But I was just looking. It's not like I have a guy to try this with."

Lyla smiled warmly before moving off to find something else to use for the wedding night. Alex watched the narrow blond walk back towards the lingerie before her eyes fell to Tara. The doctor, who already looked thoroughly out of place, looked even more so surrounded by sex toys. The grimace on her face was priceless though.

Tara was eying some kind of gag, her mind instantly shifting to the practical uses for it. There was a few people she could think of she'd like to gag. An almost vindictive smile began to cross her lips.

"Tara."

Her name brought her out of the fantasies of gagging Gemma and not having to listen to her for a day only to find the second person she wouldn't mind gagging standing on the other side of the rack. Alex's face was relatively blank and unreadable.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Despite being a question, Tara had the distinct impression it was a demand. Being raised by the gang's matriarch, Alex had that same uncanny talent of asking something without giving you the choice of refusing. Tara wasn't going to let it bother her.

"Really?" she raised a brow. "You want to do this now between the fuzzy handcuffs and dildos?"

A smirk tugged at the corner of Alex's lips, her eyes glancing around and musing further over the inventory the two young women found themselves in. Tara already knew what Alex wanted to talk about. Jax had warned her when the young woman went to visit him in prison three days ago and told him Alex was in town. He told her Alex was going to have words, something Tara already knew.

"Yeah well, I think we need to talk anyway."

Tara nodded reluctantly. She wasn't in the mood to deal with anything Alex had to say, the two of them more than content to avoid one another for the most part, but Alex couldn't let that continue. She didn't plan on going anywhere and from the looks of those boys, neither did Tara. Bridges, no matter how flimsy, needed to be mended.

"Sure." She sighed, crossing her arms over her chest to try and look less uncomfortable than she felt.

"You and Jax," Alex said simply. Yup, Tara was right. Then again, it was the only thing Alex had anything to say about. "You're together again?"

"Yeah." Tara replied shortly.

Alex didn't like the short answers she was getting from the doc or the smartass looks. Her expression darkened and without regard to the toys she was leaning against, she moved forward to illustrate her annoyance with the other young woman.

"I know I've been gone for a long time," she began, her elbows resting on a few boxed of dolls. "So I probably don't have much of a right to get into yours and Jax's business, but he's still my brother and you killed him when you left."

"I had to get out of Charming." Tara defended, unsure of why.

"That's fine." Alex replied nonchalantly. "You had to do what you had to do, fine, great, I get it. But, you weren't here to pick up the pieces and if you ever…"

"Hey!" Tara hissed, trying to keep her voice down as she lurched forward angrily. "You don't have the right to stand there and tell me I did something wrong. This had nothing to do with you."

"It had everything to do with me." Alex growled through clenched teeth, matching Tara's advancement over the shelves. "He's my brother. I love him more than anything and you weren't here to see what that did to him. You were my friend and I loved you too, but I'll always be on his side."

Somewhere through her words, Alex had calmed down and gave Tara more of a sad warning. It was true, the two of them had been friends and close too being the only sane girls associated with the Club, but that all changed when she left Jax. Tara should have known he wasn't going to leave his family here and run off with her, but he took it harder than even she realized.

"Are you going to do it again?"

There had been a thick pause between them after Alex's last tirade. Tara's eyes moved to the young woman, her green eyes burning with a warning.

"I'm not going anywhere." Tara said strongly, steeling her own deep brown eyes to match Alex's intense stare.

The two eyed one another for a moment before Alex let a smile begin to form on her lips. She nodded once.

"Good." She smiled. "Good."

The mood lightened substantially, enough even Tara smiled.

"Hey guys!" Lyla called from the register. She was waving at the two of them.

Without having to be told, the two young woman began to walk back towards the bride, walking side by side when the rack between them disappeared.

"Oh," Alex chimed before they reached Lyla. Tara looked to her as they kept walking. "Break his heart again," Alex turned her unnervingly warm smile to the doctor. "And I'll break your fucking neck."

Tara stopped in her steps and watched as Alex continued on to Lyla's side. She cocked a brow to the young black haired girl but wasn't surprised by her threat. As protective as the men were of her, it was matched by Alex's intense love for her brothers.

She slowly reached the two at the register as the cashier typed up the receipt. Lyla took it with a wide smile along with the black plastic back free of logo and headed out. Tara had little more on her mind than going home to be with Jax. In fact, she'd be there now if she wasn't Lyla's Maid of Honor.

~~~~!~~~~~

Around the same time back at the Club House, the guys were filing out of the Chapel and Juice was fidgeting. Opie and Jax seemed to notice it. They shared a look and somehow managed to catch the young man's eyes. Juice rang his hands a little more before walking awkwardly towards them.

"Hey guys." He said under his breath.

"Something wrong man?" Jax asked with a cocked brow.

"So uh, you guys are pretty close with Alex right?"

The two older members eyed one another again, Jax letting a small grin touch his lips at the relative anger in the taller man's face. Opie's gaze slowly turned back towards Juice, emotionless and blank.

"Don't even think about it." He replied cryptically before walking around the smaller member and out the front doors, Jax behind him.

Juice stood there for a moment, unsurely moving before joining the others outside. There was a wedding everyone had to get to, business to deal with that was, for lack of a better term, getting a piece of ass. Everyone had shit to do so instead of lingering on the awkwardness of the situation, Juice pushed passed it and left with everyone else.

~~~!~~~

The rest of the day seemed to move relatively fast after that. Business had been done, the first measure of it at least, arrangements made and now there was home and then a party to get to. All of the men both newly released and already there wanted nothing more than to get to the wedding and drink, celebrate and forget how stressed the last year and a half had been.

The crowd cheered happily for the two newlyweds, clapping and hollering for their friends that were now joined together. Alex was sitting up in the front with Piney, her arm interlocked with his as she clapped with a wide smile on her face like everyone else.

Alex was happy for her friend, her brother and fought the nagging turn in her gut she felt. It was an unwelcomed feeling, one she had to ignore for the better. Opie was married now to a sweet young woman and Alex was happy for him… Yeah, she was happy for him. Happy, happy, happy…. Shit…

The reception was a welcomed distraction, liquor and laughing while the band played loudly. It helped keep her mind off the regret she felt as she danced on the stage with everyone else, the men talking business.

Opie was sitting next to Clay, the two smoking a cigar. Opie was laughing along with the elder member at the people acting like idiots when he felt something touch his shoulders. He turned and noticed it was Alex. She rested her hand on his shoulder, walking around him to sit in the open chair.

"Congrats." She smiled, leaning up and kissing him on the cheek.

"Thanks." He answered with the same grin. "So, what'd you get me?"

She laughed and cocked a brow to the man, Clay chuckling.

"It's in the trunk. Why? You want it now or something?"

He shrugged.

"Might as well."

"Alright." She smiled, shaking her head slightly and pushed herself back up. "Well come on ol' man."

Clay and Opie shared a laugh and as the newly married followed the young woman towards the parking lot area. She reached into her vest pocket and pulled out her keys, popping the trunk as they approached. Opie couldn't keep from glancing at her periodically for some reason. He wasn't sure why her suddenly being in town made him so awkward, but maybe that was it. Maybe it was because she was suddenly back in town that made him question things.

"Let me know what you think."

Her voice suddenly made him realize he was staring at the back of her head after she had already opened the trunk. His attention shifted to the piece in her hands and smiled as she pulled out a chrome shotgun before handing it to him.

"It's a Winchester 1300 Coastal Marine." She told him proudly. "Its light enough Lyla should be able to use it too and when Ellie and Kenny are big enough, you can teach them how to use it."

"Not bad." He chuckled, taking aim at something and pumping it. "American made."

"Duh." She laughed.

Opie chuckled and looked at her again, gently setting the weapon down and hugging her.

"I love it." He said.

"Good." She sighed, seemingly happy with it as she hugged him back.

The two stood for a while, not speaking and just hugging one another, Alex gently grabbed her wrist in her hand and let her arms go as slack as they could. She breathed deep and sighed again, Opie resting his bearded chin on the top of her head.

"How's your side feelin'?" he finally asked in a quiet voice.

"Fine." She shrugged. "Still kind of sore all over."

"You sleeping?"

"Ope," she laughed, pulling back enough to look at the man with a weak smile. "I'm fine. Okay?"

"Yeah, cause I believe that." He replied. "You never let anyone know when shit's wrong."

She shrugged half heartedly, the smile still prevalent. He let a grin touch his own face before dipping forward enough to kiss her forehead. Alex felt her eyes close and nearly water. It'd been so long since someone was kind to her that the tenderness of it was unfamiliar but welcomed. She leaned into the action before he pulled back enough to speak.

"Let's get back."

She nodded and shifted enough his arm could loop around her shoulder. With one hand, she slammed the trunk shut, Opie grabbing the shotgun and the two walking towards the party again. Alex didn't want to let him go, feeling so much safer than she had in a while, but Opie wasn't hers. When they reached the party again, she caught sight of the woman in white. Opie belonged to her now, and Alex had to get used to sharing him all over again.


	7. Chapter 7

**Just wanted to say thank you again for the comments and follows. I really do appreciate it. I know everyone says that, but I do. It makes writing so much fun when people are enjoying it! Thanks again so much and... enjoy! :)**

****Chapter 7

(Ep.2 Booster)

Alex was sitting on her knees in the garage, blissfully within her own world. Ear buds were buried in her ears blaring whatever was coming up next on her playlist. She hadn't heard a single soul speak, a bike, a car, nothing in nearly an hour and she was fine with that for some reason.

When she awoke that morning, there was nothing but news. Stories about the dead Russian men found in Charming Heights dominated the screen time. Even if Alex didn't know anything about them or why they were there, it didn't take a genius to know. She knew the guys. She knew their love for Charming and discontent for anything modern like multi-million dollar housing developments and, to add further frosting to the cake, she recognized them as men at the wedding who mysteriously left with the club members, but never returned. Again, it didn't take a genius, just someone who wasn't a moron.

As she loosened another bolt connecting the gas tank to the body, she felt something vibrate in her feet. A smile began to stretch along her lips as the vibrating became more pronounced. Alex tilted her head to the side just enough to see bikes coming up the way. Her heart fluttered excitedly like it did when she was young every time she'd hear the motorcycles. When she was a kid, it meant her dad was home from a run, that Piney and John most likely got her some kind of stupid, drugstore or gas station toy which she loved more than anything. Now, it was no less exciting only for different reasons.

Only half the club or so had arrived so she knew it wasn't for Church, at least not yet. To her delight, Opie was among them and didn't hesitate to make it to her side. Her smile widened as she stood, Alex popping out her head phones as he moved worriedly towards her. He was always so worried about her, like she would break if he was ever too far away. Then again, perhaps it had already happened.

That was part of the reason when all was said and done, that Opie never wanted to leave Alex too far behind now that she was back. He was worried about her. He blamed himself, not much but more than he should have given her situation had absolutely nothing to do with him, and wanted to ensure it would never happen again. He wanted to make sure Emmett would never, ever place another hand on her as long as she lived and that she recovered from the damage already done.

"Morning." She chimed with a wide smile. "How's it feel being a married man again?"

"Same as yesterday, and the day before." He offered with a sideways smile. "How you feeling?"

"Opie," she groaned, unable to keep the grin from her lips as she shook her head. "I. Am. Fine. You don't need to keep worrying about me. I'm all fine and dandy, or whatever the saying is."

He raised a brow to her, staring at the young woman wearing old clothes, a shop shirt and grease all over her hands. Alex may be many things, but 'fine and dandy' wasn't one of them. It was about as much a part of her life as it was theirs.

"Oh, what are you, Lyla and the kids doing later?"

He was surprised by her sudden question, even more so by the obvious change in subject. The expression touching his face showed her that much. It had gone blank. Alex fought the urge to laugh at it and instead managed to stifle the giggle.

"Why?" he managed to ask when she snorted at his expense.

"I finally got the pool all set up and everything. I was wondering if Kenny, Elle and Piper might want to come by and swim." She replied. "You, Lyla, Jax, Tara, Piney and I can all grill out while the kids play in the pool."

His eyes went a bit wide as she listed off all of the people she was inviting to her house. It wasn't a small list, but it was everyone she considered the closest family. All said and done, she was inviting ten people over to her house, half of which were children.

"You sure about that?" he chuckled to himself.

"Well yeah." She scoffed. "I wouldn't ask if I wasn't." Opie hesitated to answer, eying the young woman like she'd lost her mind. "Aw, come on. Please?"

He laughed when she began to whine, grabbing his arm and tugging on it like she was a six year old asking for a toy.

"Pleeeease?" she repeated, this time drawing out the word and pouting at the end.

Opie sighed, taking a deep breath and shaking his head. He looked away from her as he thought about it for a moment. To be honest, he couldn't take the ridiculous expression she was giving him. It wasn't helping him say no. Then again, when he looked down at her, he realized how badly she seemed to want everyone to come over. She was like Gemma in that regard, very family oriented since she didn't seem to have much of one left anymore, and wanted nothing more than to spend time with her brothers. After all, Alex wasn't going to invite them over and neglect their wives or children. If she wanted to hang out with only them, she could do it at the Club House. Besides, this way she could help build a bridge between her and Tara, see how the doctor treated Jax, and show her brother she was trying to be cordial. It was a win, win in every way.

Alex noticed his continual hesitation and went so far as to bat her eyelashes like a fifteen year old swooning. She knew she had to look ridiculous, trying to appear as innocent and sweet as possible when she was certain she had grease on her face. The worst part was trying not to laugh while she did it.

"Fine." He sighed though a smile remained.

"Yay!" Alex laughed, hugging him tightly around the waist.

Opie grunted from the force but chuckle regardless. His arms were out to the side for a moment before he rested them on her back.

"I can ask." He clarified. "But I can't make any promises. Okay?"

Alex craned her neck to look up at the man and gave him a wide toothed smile.

"That's fine." She told him.

Opie narrowed his eyes momentarily. There was a glint of something in the vibrant green of her orbs that made him wonder if she was only saying that for his benefit. It wouldn't surprise him if she was internally telling him he had no choice.

He sighed heavily again, rolling his head from side to side before meeting her eyes again with a sideways grin.

"Fine. We'll be there."

"That's my boy." She told him cheekily, knowing it would get to him.

Opie grumbled and pushed her away despite the grin. Alex laughed.

"How's later? About six?" she asked.

"Should be fine. We've got some business still to do, but it should be okay."

"Well call Lyla and make sure she doesn't have to work. Tell Jax when you see him too."

"Yeah." He said, turning and making his way back to the Club House.

Alex watched him walk off, giggling to herself proudly. Biting the tip of her tongue gently, Alex went back to work on her bike.

~~!~~

A few hours had passed by the time Alex returned to Teller-Morrow. She was busy buying the food for later and evidently missed a lot. When she pulled up, the bikes were back and the grounds were all but abandoned. It was strange to see, even more so when she noticed a few of the guys bringing broken furniture out of the bar and tossing it into the dumpster.

"The hell happened?" She asked Juice, one of the four that were throwing away busted chairs and table parts.

"Sheriff." He sighed. "Fucking fire department."

Alex's brows came together confused as she followed the man inside. Her jaw dropped at the sight. Chunks of drywall was missing or on the floor in chunks. There was even more furniture busted up and set to the side, waiting to be thrown out. The door to the Chapel along with the window was destroyed and the wall of members was left to almost nothing. That was what pissed her off the most.

"Hey,"

Alex snapped to when Jax came towards her, pulling Tara along with him. He bore a wide smile despite the decimation of his second home. Tara on the other hand looked apprehensive, something Alex had gotten used to through the passed week and a half.

"You missed it." He told her.

"I see that." Alex replied, her eyes moving around the room again.

"No." Jax said, still smiling. Alex felt her eyes narrow at the cheeky grin on his face.

"What'd you do Teller?" she asked almost playfully.

Without answering, Jax offered her Tara's right hand. Alex's eyes immediately opened wide at the sight of a beautiful ring resting on the doctor's ring finger. Her mouth fell open and joy was the only thing she felt.

"Aw." She gasped, reaching forward and hugging the man tightly. "I'm so happy for you Jackie."

Tara breathed easier when the young woman didn't seem enraged by the engagement. It made things easier in the end. Jax held to Alex tighter than he knew he should, but she didn't complain about the pain. She was just too happy to care.

Jax had a lot of girlfriends, flings, gashes he slept with and whatnot, but never anyone serious. Even with Tara, Alex always wondered just how much he cared about the doctor. So, seeing something like this made it all the more real. He loved Tara and that was enough for Alex.

When she finally pulled back from the man she kissed him sweetly on the cheek, him doing the same to her before they parted. Jax held her with a hand leisurely placed on the small of her back as they shifted to look at Tara. He was still smiling wide while Alex looked at the doctor. Her smile had faded slightly, which was to be expected, but Tara wasn't prepared for what happened next.

Without warning, Alex reached forward and grabbed Tara, pulling her into a hug. It wasn't as tight as hers with Jax, maybe not as loving either, but the happiness was still there. Tara was shocked by the motion and couldn't keep the surprise from her face when she looked to Jax standing just behind Alex. He only smiled approvingly, letting her know that this was a good thing.

"Congratulations." Alex said as she gave Tara a final squeeze and pulled back. She adjusted her hold to Tara's forearms, not letting go of her completely and for the first time in a decade, Alex smiled genuinely to her. "Really."

Slowly, a smile formed on Tara's lips too, relief swelling within her. She nodded as though solidifying the praise.

"Thanks." She finally said.

"So," Alex chimed, wiping the tears that stuck to her lashes free. She hadn't cried, but she was so happy for her brother her eyes still welled. "Opie tell you about my place?"

"Oh, yeah." Jax said, looking to Tara. "Alex is wondering if we could stop by with the boys for a little while."

"Oh uh," Tara hesitated. She wasn't sure if she wanted to say no directly in front of the young woman.

"Look," Alex said kindly, sensing Tara's apprehension. "We can use it as a small celebration, you know, for your engagement. You guys, your boys, Ope, Layla and their kids. The kids can play in the pool and we can finally hang out. Like friends." She added the last bit as more of a joke, glad Tara saw it as such.

Tara looked from Jax to the young woman, thinking quickly about whether or not it was a good idea. On one hand this summer had been very hot and didn't seem to be letting up so swimming might be fun. On the other, she wasn't certain she wanted to be around that many people when Alex was one of them.

She did however, seem to notice that Alex was in fact trying to be the bigger person, make their torn relationship work in the end and she could respect that. It was obvious, even more so now, that neither of them was going anywhere. Each of the young women standing beside Jax owned a chunk of his heart and would forever along with only one other woman. Gemma was his mother and neither of the young women would ever compete. Tara was the love of his life. Alex was his sister and lifelong friend. Neither was leaving so they could either get along like they once did, or keep the contention going.

"Yeah," Tara finally said with a sigh and smile. "Yeah, why not? It might be fun."

"You sure?" Jax asked, noting her hesitation.

Tara smiled to him and nodded reassuringly.

"Yeah. I'd like to show Abel how to swim anyway. It'd be fun."

"Okay." Jax seemed relieved when he looked back to Alex. He had been wanting to spend some time with Alex since he'd gotten out and was happy now Tara could be included. "When?"

"Around six okay for you?"

"Yeah. We'll be there."

"Great." She smiled, noticing his injuries for the first time.

Her smile faded and a brow began to rise. Jax seemed to instinctively know what she was thinking.

"It's fine." He told her, waving off the bruises without giving her an explanation.

"Yeah." She scoffed, rolling her eyes before setting off to talk with Opie and Lyla while they were near.


	8. Chapter 8

**Okay. This is kind of fluffy, but come on. I wanted one single solitary moment where they were all normal. No guns. No hookers. No drugs. Just the guys hanging out with their family and friend before everything goes to shit. And it's kind of long. Kind of really long... Enjoy!**

Booster

(Cont)

The smell of smoking wood chips and charcoal filled the air around them when Alex noticed there were vehicles pulling up. Her smiled widened and before she could stop herself, she all but ran for the door. When she threw the door open, Opie, Lyla and their three kids were getting out of the Cadillac while Jax, Tara and their boys pulled up right behind in their own car. Alex found herself grateful Jax and Tara had followed Opie, not certain the man knew where she lived.

"Hey!" she chimed loudly, drawing their attention to her as she walked down the driveway.

"Hi!" Lyla beamed, walking forward and hugging the young woman despite holding a large beach bag over her shoulder filled with things for their kids to play with.

Alex smiled and hugged the thin young woman as Piper, Elle and Kenny swarmed them.

"Where's the pool Aunt Alex?" Elle asked, nearly jumping up and down in her spot.

Alex had to fight the surprise Elle remembered her and knelt down to look her in the eyes. She couldn't help but smile at the two children she hadn't seen in years.

"Straight through the garage." She answered, pointing behind her.

True enough, Alex had left the garage door open along with the back door it led to so the kids didn't have to hesitate to run to the water. Without another word, all three of them raced towards the backyard.

"Don't run!" Lyla called to no avail before jogging off after them.

Alex felt herself giggle at the sight when she turned back to the others. Opie bent down enough to kiss her forehead, holding a twelve pack of beer in his hands.

"I'll put these in the fridge." He told her, walking into the garage but through the door that led into the house.

Alex nodded and noticed Tara walking up holding Abel's hand and a large bag of her own, Jax with Thomas and his stuff.

"Here," she chuckled, taking the bag from Tara and looping it over her shoulder.

Alex suddenly bit back a loud groan of pain and immediately shifted the weight of the diaper bag to her right shoulder instead.

"No you don't have to…" Tara said quickly, remembering what she'd seen at ST. Thomas.

"I've got it." She interrupted, forcing another smile. "Come on."

"Piney ain't here yet?" Jax asked, noticing there wasn't a bike.

Alex shook her head.

"Nah. I told him to stop by, but he seemed kind of pissed when I talked to him." She said, Jax sighing to himself for knowing the reason. "I told him if he changed his mind he's welcome."

Alex walked ahead of the two by a few steps and didn't notice the questioning look Jax gave Tara. He could tell the woman knew something he didn't, but the doctor waved it off as unimportant, not willing to tell him what she'd seen at the hospital and in turn why Alex was favoring her right.

The young hostess led them into the house and showed Tara where she could put Thomas and Abel's things, the bottles in the fridge and so forth before joining the guys outside. The kids were already splashing and playing in the pool making both of them smile.

The pool Alex had in her backyard wasn't big, but big enough for them to enjoy. The majority of it was four feet deep, just enough the kids would be alright, with a portion of it eight feet. The remnants of a diving board let them understand why the random depths and drop and the likely reason why it was no longer set up. That seemed to be more of a disappointment to the men than anyone else.

The three kids old enough to stand on their own were busy floating on their rafts and toys, more lingering towards the deeper end of the pool. Lyla was close by as they played, laughing and splashing back when they got her wet. She had worn her bathing suit and shed her over-clothing quickly before sitting on the edge of the pool in the deep end.

Jax was in the water too, but he was in the shallow end for obvious reasons. He held Abel in his hands, tossing him around as he played with his first born. The sight was endearing and sweet, making you forget he had a giant grim reaper tattooed on his back. Abel was laughing happily, splashing as he was moved this way and that through the water.

Opie, Tara and Alex sat back in the shade, looking like the doubty un-fun parents. Opie wasn't much of a swimmer despite being tall enough to stand up in almost any depth. Tara was with Thomas, holding him as she fed the baby and Alex was more or less 'manning the grill' even though there wasn't anything on it yet. The coals were still burning down but that was her excuse.

They were having fun, enjoying themselves like normal people which was welcomed and rare anymore. With Jax finally out, Opie married and Alex back in town, it felt like old times again. This was the break they didn't even know they needed until it was offered.

"So why aren't you guys in the water?" Tara asked after about an hour.

Opie and Alex glanced to each other then back at Tara.

"I don't swim." They answered in unison.

It took Tara a moment to believe what she'd heard, only because they spoke as one, but she shook her head regardless.

"Oh come on." She sighed, laying Thomas in his carrier to sleep. "You used to love swimming when we were in school."

Alex knew Tara was speaking to her. She stuck out her tongue in response and made some kind of noise that was neither mature nor understandable. It was merely a noise to show her displeasure with Tara's memory.

"Yeah well…" she mumbled. "Why don't you?"

"I didn't bring my suit. Besides, one of us needed to stay dry so we could watch Thomas." She said, eying Jax with a smile.

"Oh come on." He chuckled, drenched in water as he held Abel to his side, the orange floaties on the toddler's arms digging into his skin. "Don't be like that."

She laughed lightly and went back to rocking the carrier.

"What about you Opie?" Tara asked, glancing behind her shoulder to the man sipping his beer in the lounging chair.

"Yeah, I'm good." He replied. "Don't have a suit either."

He didn't know why he came up with the excuse but felt it was needed when he noticed Alex looking at him from around Tara.

"It's in the bag." Lyla called from the other side of the pool.

Alex fought the smile when Opie growled under his breath.

"Tell ya what Winston," Alex giggled. He looked to her. "You go in, I'll go in. Just so you're not _self-conscious_."

She spoke the last word in the most mocking way she could, bordering on baby talk just to get on his nerves. He glowered at her, but everyone else smiled. They all knew Opie had nothing to be self-conscious about, he just didn't want to wear a bathing suit.

"Come on Ope! Stop being such a pussy." Jax laughed, hoisting his boy up on the edge of the pool so he could go to Tara for a drink.

Opie responded by flipping the man off without a word. Jax chuckled, walking in the water towards his friend. Tara could see the glint of mayhem in Jax's eyes and was grateful she and her boys were far enough away for what she thought was about to happen. Sure enough, Jax grabbed one of Kenny's boogey board things and reared back. With a powerful swat, he sent a wave of water flying towards Opie.

Tara grabbed Abel and pulled him back just in time to shield her leg as he sipped from his juice cup, unaware of what was going on. Opie shot out of his chair, dropping his beer into the grass and struggling to get away. He didn't make it far, getting soaked from nearly his hips down. Jax had managed to get nearly all of Opie's right leg.

No matter if they tried to hide it or not, the entire group of people began to laugh at the man glaring at Jax. The blond in the pool however shrugged indifferently, tossing the boogey board back into the water.

"Now you got no choice man." Jax smiled.

"Come on." Alex laughed, standing and moving towards the man. "Grab your stuff and you can change inside. I'll change too."

Opie continued his hateful glower at the ever smiling Jax as he grabbed the bag Lyla had put his shorts in and went inside. Alex offered him the guest bedroom instead of the bathroom given how much he had to remove and how big he was. Opie, for lack of a better term, didn't 'fit' in small bathrooms when he had to do things like disrobe. His wingspan alone was as long as her bathroom in the first place so she simply offered him the easier location.

A few minutes later Opie emerged from the house brandishing a pair of black and white swim trunks complete with, what else, skulls on a single leg. He noticed Abel was munching on a hotdog Tara had given him and decided to get back at the boy's father. Without a second thought, Opie dive bombed the man in the water.

Jax struggled to get out of the way but the water held him back. Opie managed to hook him around the shoulders and shove him into the water with a tremendous splash. There were laughs again and some clapping from the kids, enjoying that their dad managed to get a hold of the man.

After a moment, they appeared on the surface of the water. Jax was laughing from the attack, unable to do anything but, and splashed a wave of water at the man. Opie only chuckled when Elle wanted him to throw her. He did, then Kenny and then Piper in rapid fire, tossing them all into the deep end of the water at least once by the time Alex came out of the house in her bathing suit.

"The hell took you so long?" Jax laughed, bringing Abel back into the pool.

"Couldn't find the damn thing." She replied simply. "Honestly didn't know I had it anymore."

He nodded and went back to playing with his son. Alex was ignorant to Opie staring at her and would have liked to have kept it that way. She had done what she could to keep them from staring at her, coming out wearing a button up shirt fastened by only a single button just so they wouldn't see the scars. But Opie stared anyway.

Alex was always lighter than they were despite being outside just as much. Part of you would wonder if she either didn't tan or simply bathed in sunscreen, but her mom was light too. It had been years, almost a decade, since anyone had seen any bit of Alex's skin besides her arms. She never wore low-cut shirts, mid-drift shirts or even shorts. She wasn't that kind of person so her skin stayed the same fair complexion and seeing her with her legs bare like that was a surprise to him.

She walked towards the grill, ignorant to the two men in the pool plotting against her. Alex realized that by now she needed to either turn the hotdogs or flip the few burgers she'd placed on the grill a while ago and was right. With a final flip of the last burger, Alex suddenly felt arms around her waist.

The young woman screamed before she could stop herself, unable to see anything but the sky above but feeling four hands holding her feet and arms. At least they were smart enough to realize she'd kill them for what they planned to do. Barely having time to hold her breath, Alex was tossed effortlessly into the pool. She landed in the deep end, thankfully, and pushed herself up off the concrete bottom and to the water's surface, looking around to see Opie and Jax smiling proudly from above. She glared, swimming towards the shallow end of the pool.

"I think she's pissed bro." Jax laughed.

"She looks kind of like a wet rat." Opie offered.

"She's going to kill you." Tara all but sang.

When Alex made it to the shallow end and was able to stand on her own she noticed they'd ripped her shirt. It wasn't much, only a busted button, the one that held her shirt closed as a matter of fact, and her glare intensified.

The two men paid her no attention, each grabbing their beers and taking a long sip. Something told her this was Opie's idea. She didn't know why, but the overly proud look on his face made her feel like this was him getting her back for something. So, she'd do the same. With his back still to her and the reaper smiling, Alex shrugged off her shirt and balled it up.

Opie was finishing off his beer when he was suddenly slammed in the back of the head by a chunk of fabric. It wrapped around his face with a loud thwack, wrapping around him and forcing him to take a step forward. He coughed, barley able to swallow his mouthful of alcohol when he was hit and spun around to see Alex shrug indifferently at him.

This time he glared and made an internal note to get her back for it later.

As the day progressed and the night began to creep in, the children decided it was time for them to get out of the water. It was kind of surprising, that children were done swimming without being told, but Alex assumed it had to do with all of the food they ate. They were too full. So, asking if it was alright, Lyla took them inside to watch a movie. Alex helped set everything up for them, gave them anything they might need like drinks and so forth before making her way back outside.

The group of adults was having fun even though Lyla remained inside with the kids; more than a few of them thought they would. Tara was honestly enjoying herself. She felt like she was slipping back into the way things were, the one thing that Alex was hoping would happen. It was welcomed relief.

With Thomas sleeping in his carrier next to Tara, the kids watching a movie inside with Lyla all curled on the couch and Abel sleeping in Alex's massive bed, the other four remained outside, laughing and talking about the way things used to be. Maybe living in the past wasn't the best way to spend the present, but they were happier memories. Besides, now the guys could act like the idiots they wanted, doing cannon balls into the deep end, wrestling and tossing each other around in the water without fear of hitting any little people.

Alex had tried to join in on the fighting but she couldn't do it. In water, her weight meant nothing. On solid ground, she could take down their center of gravity, but not now. Leaping onto Opie or Jax's shoulders did little more than make them laugh at her and toss her off without a problem. That wasn't how she wanted things to go and forced her to give up. With an angry scoff, she hoisted herself up and out of the water.

It was then they finally saw it. In the dying light of the day, both young men could see what they hadn't seen before. Marks marred her back, a few of them doubled. Opie recognized those kinds of marks from when he'd gotten his ass beat once as a kid. They were from a belt, the double lines from the edge of it, and she had a couple of them crisscrossing her back. It looked she'd been hit a couple times hard enough to break the skin. That in and of itself shouldn't have been enough to scar her, but from what Opie had heard about Emmett so far, a hospital visit probably never happened, which meant they probably weren't taken care of.

To make it worse, there was an exit wound smiling back at them. Opie knew what it was from being told. Jax knew from seeing it on plenty of his own friends. He found himself scowling at the sight, running his hand down his goatee as he examined it.

Alex went about her business, ignorant to being watched as she reached for her shirt again. She'd set it aside after making sure it smacked Opie in the head and let it dry. Now that it was, she threw it up and on, giving both young men a glimpse of her left side before buttoning it up. Jax tensed his fists, knowing those injuries weren't something that happened to her on accident. He glanced to Opie who only shook his head, telling the man silently to drop it. He didn't like that his best friend was now the second person to suggest that.

Tara sat beside Alex at the picnic table, the two talking amongst themselves for a moment.

"I'm glad you came." Alex said, looking sweetly down at the sleeping infant.

Tara looked to the young woman and when Alex didn't reply, she glanced up to the doctor.

"Yeah," she finally replied. "Me too."

Alex's smile turned kind when she glanced to the two men in the pool talking to each other before back to Tara.

"I'm glad you make him happy." She told the doctor honestly.

"Does that mean you're done threatening me?" Tara asked with a slight smile.

"As long as he's happy, yeah." Alex smiled. "He's my family, Tara. You know that."

"But something tells me you didn't threaten to break Lyla's neck if she broke Opie's heart."

A sly smile tugged at the corner of Alex's lips. She knew Tara was teasing, but there was truth to her words too.

"I knew I didn't have to." She answered. "She didn't leave Opie and move halfway across the country."

"Fair enough." Tara sighed, looking to Thomas when he cooed in his sleep. Her face fell as she stared at her little boy.

"He's beautiful." Alex said, meaning every word.

Tara looked to her and smiled.

"Thanks." She said, looking down at her little boy again. Like before, Alex noticed something cloud the young woman's eyes.

"Something's wrong."

Tara took a breath and sighed, forcing a smile and shaking her head.

"No. It's fine."

"You're still a shitty liar Knowles."

Tara let out a week laugh. She gently ran her index finger along her son's cheek contemplatively before meeting Alex's eyes again.

"Can I ask you something?"

There was something in her voice and her eyes that made Alex nod. She didn't know why, but Tara seemed thoroughly worried about something.

"If you had a kid," she began slowly, not wanting to hit a nerve she didn't know about. When Alex didn't react, she continued. "Would you want them raised up in this?"

Alex took her own deep breath and thought, her eyes traveling to the ground. Tara watched as she thought hard for a moment before meeting her expecting gaze again.

"Yes and no."

Tara's brows came together.

"It can't be both. You have to want one more than the other."

"Well, it really depends."

"On what?"

"Who it's with." Alex offered with a shrug.

"What if it was with a member?" Tara pressed.

And there it was. That was the real reason behind the questioning. Alex let a smile twitch at her lips for a second, maybe two before it disappeared.

"Are you worried about Abel and Thomas growing up around the Club?" she asked, her voice lower so Jax and Opie wouldn't overhear.

Tara looked to them out of the corner of her eyes and noticed both men at the edge of the pool, still talking in their own hushed tones as they drank from their beers. In truth Tara didn't need to answer. Alex could already see it.

"Tara," Alex said, drawing the doctor's attention. Tara was surprised to see Alex had leaned in a bit closer to speak, ensuring she had the woman's undivided attention. "There are benefits, sure. Large family, people around to always help, friends." She began. Tara twitched when she realized how much Alex sounded like Gemma just then and wondered if asking her was a smart idea. "But, unless you want your boys to strap on a cut, then no."

Tara couldn't hide her shock. Out of the things she assumed Alex would say, that hadn't been among them. She expected Alex to do the same as Gemma, spout how wonderful the Club was, that Jax would never leave and she shouldn't bother asking, but she didn't.

"Are you saying I should take them away from the Club?"

"No." Alex snapped quickly. "Because if you take those boys away from Jackie, he'd break." Both women knew it was true. "I'm saying if you don't want this for your sons, cause you know they'd slip right into it like Jax and Ope, then you need to convince him to pack up all your shit and leave with you."

Tara's brows came together. Nothing Alex was saying made sense. Yes, it was logical, but not something you'd expect to hear from this young woman.

"You'd let him leave? What about Gemma? The rest of the Club?"

"I love them all, so very, very much, but you and I both know that in the end, you have to do what's right for your family. It's got nothing to do with anyone else." She said sternly. "_But_, do _not_ force him. You can't force Jax to leave or he'll resent you forever. If he tells you no, drop it and bring it up later on down the line. Don't harp on him about this kind of shit."

And it was true. Alex knew that Jax would shut down, tell Tara to mind her own business and if she tried to take the boys he'd fight to the death. Both women knew how the young man was, how stubborn, proud and loyal so it wasn't out of the question for him to be offended and if Tara pushed, she'd only push him away.

But, on the other hand, Alex also knew how bad this Club could be for the kids. Her dad alone was sent away a few times in her youth. It drove her mother to drink, pop pills and in the end shoot herself at the dinner table after Alex's dad died. It drove Opie's family apart and killed his wife. It killed Jax's dad. As great and wonderful and happy as the Club could make you feel, it could make it just as bad. Whether anyone would admit it aloud or not, there was death, destruction and trouble with their lifestyle. In the end, Alex only wanted her brother's happy and, as much as it hurt her heart to think about, if Jax or Ope could be happy out of the Club, then she wanted that for him.

"Just, be gentle with it." Alex continued. "This is his family. He was raised with these people so you can't push."

Tara nodded, surprised by Alex's understanding in the situation but when the dark-haired young woman glanced to the baby, Tara understood why. It was easy to think of the well being of children when they were so young. They were still innocent at that age.

"Hey babe,"

The two young women turned to see both Jax and Opie approaching them.

"Think it might be time to head home." Jax said with a sideways grin. "How bout you?"

"Yeah." She breathed, smiling to the man and nodding. "We should get the boys to bed."

"Yeah. We're going to head out too. All the kids have school tomorrow." Opie replied.

Alex nodded and stood, gathering the few things Tara had brought out for Thomas.

"Well come on. I'll help you guys get your stuff together." She replied.

Jax reached over and grabbed Thomas giving Tara a break from lugging it around as the four made their way into the house. Lyla was lying on the couch with Piper wrapped up to her side sleeping, Kenny watching the movie and Elle asleep as well. Kenny waved to his dad.

"Go ahead and get your stuff together bud. We're going to head home. Okay?"

Kenny nodded and went about getting his things, Lyla moving out from under Piper to get the rest.

When everyone had their things all together, Opie lifted Elle into his arms and took her to the car before doing the same for Piper. Alex couldn't fight the endearing smile at the man being a father. It was only matched by Jax cradling Abel to his chest and doing the same. It made her wish she had her own.

She helped them pack their things into their vehicles before hugging Lyla and then Opie.

"We had fun." He told her, kissing the top of her head. "Thanks."

"Anytime." Alex replied pulling away. "You guys are more then welcome to the pool anytime."

"We might have to take you up on that." He chuckled, slipping into the car and starting it up.

"Be safe, okay?"

Opie openly rolled his eyes at her protective words but the smile remained.

"Looove you." She teased, stretching out the word for a moment or two.

Opie grumbled and shook his head while Lyla giggled at his discomfort.

"Love you too, smartass."

She smiled proudly, adding an internal tally mark to her increasingly long list of how many times she's flustered Opie through the years. As she stepped back, Alex waved to him and watched as he drove off before moving to Jax, Tara strapping Thomas's seat into the car, Abel already secured in his. Jax stepped forward and hugged the young woman tightly, sighing an exhausted sound that made her smile.

"I'm glad we did this." He said. "Normal shit for a change."

"You bet." She smiled, kissing his cheek when he did the same. "Love you Jackie."

"Love you too darlin'."

This time when she pulled back and looked to Tara, the doctor stood like she was almost expecting a hug. Alex smiled and gave her one, squeezing her a little just for good measure. After all, they were once like sisters.

"Take care of our boy, yeah?" Alex said softly.

Tara pulled back and gave her a knowing nod. Stepping back from the car and towards her home, Alex waved to the family and watched as they drove off too. She couldn't have been happier then at that moment, truly. It was one of the best days she'd had in years and she couldn't wait to have more of them.

But as Alex lingered in her driveway, cold swept down her back. The smile faded instantly as something other than joy crept into her veins. Fear. That odd feeling of dread when you swear something is watching you began to fill her and before she could find it, Alex turned on her heels and went inside, locking the door behind her before doing an internal sweep of the house.


	9. Chapter 9

Dorylus

(Ep. 3)

The ringing cell phone forced Alex to groan. It woke her from the first few solid hours of sleep she'd gotten thus far and she hated whoever was on the other line for it. Blindly, she reached for the phone and flipped it open.

"Someone better be dead." She grumbled, her voice thick with sleep.

"_Get your lazy ass up Alex."_ She heard Opie sigh on the other line. A smile touched her lips though she didn't open her eyes, instead rolling onto her back again. _"The hell you still doing asleep anyway? It's like ten o'clock."_

"Oh no." she mocked with a laugh. "Who are you, the time police?"

She heard him scoff and likely make a face on the other end.

"_Got a favor to ask."_

"So ask."

"_You still have any of your ol' man's tools or anything left over?"_

She sighed, breathing deep and sitting up with a groan. Her side throbbed for a moment before settling again. Alex yawned and ran her fingers through her ratted hair, digging the heel of her palm into her eye to help wake herself up.

"Depends on the kind of tools you need. If it's automotive, I'm out. That's why I'm using the ones at the shop."

"_No. House tools._" He said. _"Drills, saws, anything like that."_

"Yeah. I've got a bunch of that shit. You need anything in particular?"

"_We're building up some boxes for parts and… other things."_

She smiled to herself. He always said 'other things' or 'stuff' when he was talking about guns. It was stupid since she already knew what they did, but kind of cute he thought she didn't. Yet again, this was one of those times you'd have to be a moron not to get it.

"Sure they are." She yawned again. "What do you need?"

"_Anything you've got'll work."_

"Yeah, sure. No problem. When you need them by?"

"_Soon as you can. You know where the old Oswald lumber place is outside town?"_

"Uh… I think so. It's been a while, but which one you talking about?"

"_It's a little off 18, near the Wahiawa reservation."_

"Okay. Yeah, I know that place. Back in the woods and hills."

"_Yeah. Just bring what you can up here and I'll make sure you get it back."_

"Sure. No problem. Give me… half hour?"

"_That works. Later."_

"Bye."

Alex flipped the phone shut and tossed it onto the bed before getting ready. She had a lot of home improvement styled tools for the obvious reason, home improvement and she wasn't worried about getting everything back. She knew none of the guys would take anything from her and even if they did or it broke, they'd buy her brand spanking new ones. There was no downside to loaning them stuff.

About thirty-five minutes later, Alex pulled up to the decrepit building. She smiled to herself. This would suit Clay's tastes.

The Prospects had given her looks as she drove up but seemed to realize she wasn't anyone dangerous. True she was sure they were a bit nervous about her showing up like she had, but if Opie called her for help, Alex knew it meant the others knew she was coming over.

Exiting the vehicle, she walked up to the building without reservation, pulling her sunglasses up into her hair before sliding the barn door open. She was met with the sight of an open area, the hayloft above and nothing else.

"Yo!" she called loudly. "You guys here?!"

It took a minute before a back door opened and Tig noticed the young woman.

"Hey sweetheart." He smiled, moving back into the backroom.

Alex walked in, again without hesitation, and noted the lumber and so forth laying around but only a few tools. If they had many boxes to build, a single set wasn't going to aid them very well, not when just about every member was there. It would make shit move way too slow.

"You bring them?" Opie asked, leaning a two by four against the wall.

"Yeah, I've got the tools in my trunk if you need 'em."

"What other toys ya bring?" Chibs asked with a chuckle.

"Blades, nails, screws, hammers, drills and sanders." She spouted off without a problem, smiling to the man. "The fun shit."

"You own a damn hardware store now or something?" Tig smiled.

"You kidding? Woman could die of old age waiting for a guy to come fix shit." She teased. "Besides, the house I've got needed some work."

"That's what landlords are for." Opie told her.

"We've got a deal. I do the work, she takes cash off rent." Alex shrugged. "Besides, a hole recently appeared in my wall." Opie tried to ignore her gaze, knowing she was referring to him losing his temper the other night when he punched a hole in her drywall. With a smile she moved on, dropping the subject entirely. "Come on, I've got more in the trunk."

"I'll give you a hand." Juice offered before anyone else could.

Alex nodded and the young man followed suit, some of the others laughing at the situation.

"I think Juicy's got a lil' crush." Chibs smiled.

"Better not." Opie muttered under his breath, removing his jacket and laying it over a chair in the corner.

"Oh come on man, it's kind of cute." Tig teased. "I mean, she'd eat him alive, but it's kind of cute."

"I guess the passed ten years didn't do much did it Ope?" Bobby said with a sideways grin over the rim of his glasses as he continued to draw the plans for the boxes.

"Whatever." He grumbled, grabbing another piece of wood to start the structure.

Outside, Alex went about gathering together the tools she'd brought. Juice was fumbling for a moment to say anything but she seemed to notice and smiled putting a hammer into the tool bag.

"Are you going to stare or talk?" she asked.

"I wasn't…" he said quickly before she gave him a disbelieving look. "Sorry…"

Her smile turned sweet.

"So, how long have you been with SAMCRO?"

"A few years I guess. You?"

"Born and raised." She teased. He laughed unsurely. "My dad was Tanner Walker so I kind of grew up around these guys."

"Yeah uh, they seem kind of protective over you."

She shrugged.

"I guess. Opie mostly." Alex said absently. "Still don't know what the hell for."

"Yeah. No kidding." Juice scoffed.

Alex paused almost immediately. She'd heard him, whether he meant to or not and rose slowly to face him. Juice's expression dropped when she turned her narrowed eyes to him.

"What'd he do?" she asked quietly.

"Huh? Nothing…" Juice said quickly.

Alex narrowed her eyes further and Juice couldn't explain why he blurted what he said.

"He just told me not to mess with you. That's all." Juice replied as though he were defending himself.

Instead of seeming angry or offended, Alex just seemed annoyed. She growled under her breath and rolled her eyes. The young woman couldn't believe what she was hearing. Of course Opie would try and scare of a guy that might be interested in her… wait.

Alex slowly turned to look at Juice again, a smile lightly tugging at the corner of her lips as she bit her bottom lip. Juice cleared his throat at the slightly predatory look in her eyes.

"Why would he warn you not to mess with me?" she asked with a leading tone, cocking a brow to the young man.

If she thought he could, Juice lost a shade or two of color. It made her smile widen gently.

"First of all," she began, looping the tool bag over her shoulder and handing the young man a few more things. "You're a brother, so it's nothing to worry about. Just _mostly_ empty threats. Second, Opie's just being protective. And third," she slammed the trunk shut and started walking backwards towards the barn. "It's probably cause I think you're kind of cute."

She giggled as a smile twitched in the corner of his mouth before Alex turned her back to him and made her way through the barn doors. When she walked in and moved to set everything down on the tables without the wood, Opie was the first to eye her and the smile lingering on her face.

"What took you so long?" he asked, pulling out tools as Juice walked in with the sanders and so forth.

"Jealous?" she teased, a few of the guys chuckling at her mocking tone. He glowered at her. "Oh jeeze Ope. Can't a girl have a quickie without people giving her shit?"

"What?" the man snapped, spinning around quickly to face her.

Alex only smiled slyly while Juice fumbled, nearly dropping the sander the same time Opie yelled out. The Sasquatch's stern eyes shifted to his brother. Juice wasn't sure what to do.

"I didn't touch her dude, I swear." He defended.

"And what's wrong with me?" Alex asked, cocking a brow and turning to the man with her hands on her hips.

"What? Nothing… I mean, ordinarily I'd have no problem with…" he stammered, noticing Opie wasn't getting any happier the longer he spoke and shut up quickly.

"Then why couldn't we have been out there having sex?" she persisted.

Juice's head was snapping from an angry Opie to an annoyed Alex and he looked horrified. It was funnier to the group of men watching the display than the one stuck in the middle of it. But, as though sensing he was about to shit his pants, Alex began to giggle.

"I'm kidding Juice." She laughed. "Jesus, lighten up."

He barely breathed a laugh when he looked back at Opie and realized the man was still mad.

"You too." She said, smacking the large man in the gut halfheartedly.

Opie only eyed Juice and went back to work. The young man jumped when someone landed a heavy hand on his shoulder, relieved to see it was only Tig, the man grinning crookedly at the shorter member.

"Calm down man. She's just fucking with you."

"Yeah no, I know…"

"Opie on the other hand…"

The two men looked at the giant with the drill. Opie stared at Juice with a stern gaze before pressing the button and making the drill scream loudly, a drill bit that could likely go through anything on the other end. Juice for some reason saw that thing going through the side of his head and who knew where else. Tig let out a low whistle and patted the young man's shoulder before going back to work.

As time went and saws and sanders filled the air, Alex's phone began to ring. The crew didn't mind when she offered to help, giving her a simple task of marking off wood pieces. Ordinarily Alex might have given them shit for the crap bitch work job, but she didn't care. As much information as she was privy to, some things she had to let them think she knew nothing about. Like the obvious smuggling containers. But evidently it didn't stop people from calling her for something else. She grumbled, digging through her pockets to grab it.

"Yeah?" she asked, holding it in place with her shoulder as she marked the piece of wood for Tig to cut. Alex suddenly stopped and stood upright, confusion on her face. "Yeah this is her." That seemed to be enough to make the others slowly pay attention. "What?! Are you fucking kidding me?" that was definitely enough. Alex growled. "No, I'll be right there." She snapped her phone shut and jammed it into her pocket. "Shit."

"Problem?" Bobby asked, his voice bordering on sarcastic despite her obvious distress.

"That was the cops. I have to head home."

"What happened?" Opie asked.

"Mail man called them when he found a dead cat nailed to my door."

The guys glanced to one another while Alex looked down at the table, trying to think.

"A dead cat?" Juice asked with disgust.

"Yeah." She muttered, tossing the pencil down. "I need to go home."

"I'm coming with you." Opie said.

"No, it's fine. Probably just some kids."

"Kids don't nail an animal to your door for no reason." Tig replied.

"That shite's a message." Chibs added. "Who ya got wantin' to say hello?"

"Nobody."

"Bullshit. That sick son of a bitch knows where you live now."

Alex glanced up through her eyelashes at the man, silencing him quickly with her angry gaze. He reluctantly bit his tongue. Of all the things Alex hated, telling people her business was the biggest. Opie knew by accident. If she hadn't hurt herself that night, she would have gladly gone on without a word of the whole thing. One was enough, more was out of the question.

"You need someone to come with you." Tig said, the stern determination in his command making her reluctantly realize no one was planning to let her leave without a chaperone.

"Fine," she said, noticing Opie grabbing his cut. "Juice. You coming?"

"What?"

"He can stay here. I'll go." Opie replied.

"Nope. He's following me home." She said defiantly, making the man bristle slightly. "I'll call you later when I find out what's going on."

He didn't seem happy but she didn't care. He should have thought about that before he told Juice to leave her alone. Opie knew her better than that and should have known how she'd take it. He basically assumed on his own that either Alex was going to try and jump Juice's bones or vice versa and decided to nip it in the butt. It was just rude, to be honest, so a little bit of a lesson needed to be taught.

Turning to leave, Alex grabbed Juice's cut and tugged lightly to show him he needed to follow her. Slowly, hesitantly really, he did as she instructed, more unwilling to remain behind where the angry giant was.

"You know who it is Ope?" Bobby asked when the sound of both engines grew faint.

"Maybe." Opie sighed. "That twisted son of a bitch."

He left it at that despite their pressing glances. After all, he wasn't a hundred percent sure at the moment. Opie couldn't truly form words at the thought either. He was beyond pissed off for a few reasons, the main being Alex heading home without him. His protectiveness over her hadn't faded through the years like you'd expect. If anything, it seems to have grown. Still seething with frustrated anger, Opie grabbed the hammer and began pounding the shit out of a nail.

~~!~~

By the time Juice and Alex pulled up to her house, a cop was taping a box, presumably filled with fluffy, with evidence tape. He noticed the vehicle pull into the driveway and the motorcycle behind it. Alex turned her car off and approached with a disgusted scowl.

"Alexandria Walker?" the cop asked.

"Yeah." She replied, pushing passed the oddness of the man knowing her name and figuring he'd read it on her mail. She didn't like people knowing who she was, badge or not. "That the… cat?"

"Yes ma'am." The cop replied with the same grossed out expression. "Do you have any idea who would want to do something like this?"

"Yeah," she sighed. "I've got a notion. Look, can we do this inside?"

The policeman nodded, noting the people staring at the cop car in front of the young woman's house and the known biker with her. The only people in Charming who rode bikes were connected with SAMCRO so it wasn't too hard to guess, despite the hoodie over his cut.

Alex nodded her own agreement and fidgeted with her keys, pulling her house key out and walking to the door with everyone behind her. She fought the gag at the nails and blood still trickling down her wooden front door as she pushed it open. The moment she looked up, Alex screamed whether she meant to or not, her hands coming to her face.

"Jesus." Juice muttered, fighting a gag.

The cop instantly went about un-holstering his gun and talking into his radio for backup. He moved passed the two and instantly went about making sure the perimeter was clear while Alex couldn't fight the near tears of fear that wanted to break free. Now she knew why there wasn't much blood on her front porch.

_Found you Bitch!_ Was written in large bloody letters across the wall over her couch, there to greet whoever came walking through the front door. Alex's mouth was hanging slack, her hand still covering it.

"I think I'm going to be sick…" she finally muttered, her voice reflecting the emotion.

"Ma'am," the cop chimed, walking back into the living room. "I'm going to need you to step out. This is a crime scene now."

"Yeah uh…" she cleared her throat, trying to swallow the bile again. "Can I get some clothes? I uh, I'm not going to be staying here for a couple days."

The young cop didn't seem to know what he should say, things like this not in the Charming handbook, and nodded. Grateful, Alex walked back into her bedroom, motioning for Juice to follow her. He did, but couldn't tear his eyes away from the writing until it was out of sight. When he turned his attention back to Alex, she was already throwing clothes into an old military duffle bag, standing partially in her closet.

"You know who did this?" he asked.

She nodded, knowing he probably hadn't heard anything about it.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I do." She said under her breath, walking to her dresser while Juice stood in the doorway.

She was trying to focus on what she was doing but he could see the tears welling in her eyes, he just didn't know where they were coming from. Unlike everyone else, he didn't know Alex anywhere near as well as they did.

"Can you do me a favor?" she asked with a sniff.

"Yeah, sure."

"Under my mattress on the right should be a gun. Grab it for me please."

"Sure." He muttered, walking over to her bed and reaching under the mattress.

It took him a second but soon enough he felt the steel and pulled it out, handing it to her when he reached her side. Alex quit throwing panties into the bag and took the weapon, expelling the mag and shoving the gun far down into the duffle away from any cop eyes that might want to look. Certain it was secured; she went back to throwing lacey bits into the canvas material and quickly moved to the bathroom. She may have said a few days, but she was packing for a week or better, just in case. You can never be to careful with a fucking psycho looking for you.

The jingle of sirens soon sounded when she emerged again. Alex sighed, latching the now full duffle bag shut and throwing it over her shoulder. In her haste, she managed to pull her scar again and bit back a groan, instantly dropping the weighted bag.

"Here." Juice moved forward quickly and grabbed the bag, slowly taking it for her.

He was kind of surprised. It was heavy, but not that bad. Alex smiled kindly, holding her side and stood upright.

"Thanks." She said sweetly.

Juice smiled and together they walked out of the house, Alex snatching a small leather book off the entertainment center before walking through the door. The cops were already congregating when she opened the trunk and let the young man throw it in.

"Mrs. Andrews?"

She growled into the trunk, Juice eying her curiously, before she slammed it shut.

"Walker." She corrected as though she had a hundred times and turned. "My name is Walker, not Andrews."

The new Sergeant nodded unsurely.

"Ma'am, I'd like to ask you a few questions if you don't mind."

She scoffed a laugh and leaned against her trunk.

"I love how you guys say that like I have a choice." She muttered, Juice musing lightly. "Yeah, sure. Ask away."

"Ma'am, do you know who would want to do something like this?"

"Yes." She answered with an annoyed nod.

He eyed her for a moment, pen ready to write in the notepad, waiting for her to speak.

"My husband."

Juice's head shot to her.

"You're married?" he asked higher than he meant to.

"Unfortunately." She grumbled.

"Why do you think you're husband would do something like this?" the cop asked, writing down everything.

"Look," she sighed, clenching her fists to keep them from shaking. "Just call the Lodi PD. They've got my file, all the police reports, the restraining orders and I'm pretty sure they even have his warrants and info."

"This isn't the first time he's done something like this?" the cop asked slightly surprised.

"This isn't even the worst thing he's done." She answered with an edge to her words. "Just call Lodi. I really want to get out of here. I feel like he's watching me."

And she did. For some reason, Alex realized that the sensation she had last night in her driveway after the guys drove off may have been completely founded.

"Okay. I'll have some more questions for you. How can I get in contact with you again?"

"209-555-1425." She sighed.

"Thank you." The cop replied, walking off to see what was going on.

Alex growled, burying her face in her palms and sighing heavily. When she looked back up she forced a smile to Juice, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Glad you came now?" she asked with a teasing laugh.

Juice cocked a brow. She laughed weakly.

"You should get back." She replied. "Thanks for coming with me though."

"Yeah, no problem. You going to be alright?"

"I'll be fine." Alex nodded taking a half step forward. She leaned up and gently kissed his cheek, the corner of her lips touching his and making him tense slightly. When she pulled back, Alex was still smiling, this time slyly. "Thanks again."

"Sure." He muttered.

She was enjoying his awkward movements. It had been years since Alex had some harmless flirting under her belt. Juice was cute, really he was, but a little naive and goofy for her tastes. A good guy she could tell, just not for her. But again, that wouldn't keep her from flirting either.

After a moment, Juice forced himself to walk off and get onto his bike to head back to the barn. Alex on the other hand, was stopped by a few more cops to answer questions she had probably already explained before she could escape completely. She wasn't happy.


	10. Chapter 10

**Thank you all! I love you guys! Here's some more. I hope you like it!**

Dorylus

pt.2

Juice was still thinking about the scene back at Alex's place. The image of that blood smeared wall was disgusting in and of itself and he found himself grateful he didn't have to see the cat. There was no telling how bad that image would have been. Yeah he did bad things to people, but for some reason it was different with animals. The damn things couldn't protect themselves against freaks like this and besides, the guys he hurt weren't exactly saints.

When he rolled up to the barn, Juice was met with nearly half the club. The Prospects were most likely inside finishing some things off while the big dogs were outside smoking a cigarette and talking about business that didn't involve the newbies. They all but perked when he rode up and dismounted from the bike.

"The hells goin' on?" Chibs asked as Juice walked up to them.

"There was a cat nailed to her door man." He retold. "Cops had the thing in a box and shit when we walked up, all kinds of blood and shit everywhere."

"She alright?" Opie asked.

"Yeah, I mean, as much as you can be after someone writes in cat blood on your walls."

"Jesus Christ. Who's the sick fuck that does that kind of shit?" Tig asked. They knew it was twisted when someone like Tig was disgusted.

"Emmett." Opie growled before he could stop himself. He hadn't even realized the word left his lips.

The ones who knew her before seemed confused by it. They'd met the man before, they were there at her wedding and gave her silent approval that she picked a good one. That was part of the reason Opie was so pissed. Emmett had slipped by everyone's radar in the end.

"Her ol' man?" Tig asked, voicing the same confusion the others felt. "The hell does he have to do with this?"

Everyone turned to Opie, the man that seemed to know everything. He glanced at them, seeing their expecting expressions. He sighed, running his hand down his mouth and his beard.

"She didn't tell me much." He replied quietly, hoping it would get him out of explaining.

"Well tha's more than we fuckin' know." Chibs snapped, not liking the way both Juice and Opie were acting.

He looked down, wondering if he should be the one telling everyone else about Alex's business. He didn't feel right doing it, especially since they couldn't solve the problem, but he didn't like having the anger and hatred for the man to himself. To make matters worse, it sounded like he found her.

"Her old man was…" he began, shifting slightly before looking back at everyone. "He was smacking her around apparently." Opie saw instant rage cross every one of their faces. It was only going to get worse. "Few months back he upped his game."

"The hell does that mean?" Tig asked angrily.

"He tried to kill her."

"Jesus Christ." Bobby sighed.

"Tha' son of a bitch." Chibs growled. "How?"

"He shot her." Opie answered begrudgingly. "She told Gemma it put her in the hospital for a few months. He did some damage."

"Well where tha fuck is he?" Chibs roared, horrified and furious as the rest of them. "The hells he doin' leavin' dead cats on 'er door?"

"Lodi cops said he disappeared."

"Disappeared?" Bobby repeated in disbelief. "Just another point that proves cops don't know shit."

"She can't go back to her place." Chibs said.

"She didn't." Juice chimed in, finally having something to contribute that wasn't animal sacrifice. "She packed a bag, said she was heading to the Club House."

"Good." Tig nodded. "That's good. We need to call the rest of the guys about this, get our hands on this prick before the cops find him."

"Agreed." Chibs and Opie replied in unison, anger evident within all of them.

Each of them was harboring extreme anger for the man that laid a hand on the young woman. All of them were protective of her, thinking her family like they did everyone else in the club. It was homicidal rage, the same they felt for Gemma when she was raped. This was extraordinarily personal and the first moment they could, they were going to deal with it.

Reluctantly, they seemed to go back to the task at hand though none of their minds were thoroughly on their work. Clay and Jax stopped by later, the men not hesitating to fill them in on the bullshit. Opie sat back, not really willing to retell everything he'd heard and feeling a bit guilty about doing it once already. In fact, as angry as Opie was, he was beginning to have second thoughts. Alex was going to be mad, very, very mad. But, then again, maybe she would be more forgiving now that she had the Club behind her.

~~!~~

Alex was trying to keep busy and for the most part it was easy. The Club House still looked like shit after what the fire department had done to it. There wasn't a single area, room or otherwise, that hadn't been beaten to hell. The one thing, though, that bothered her most was the wall of members. The pictures were set on the table beneath it, some broken, some with gashes through them about the size of an axe blade and others untouched. It didn't take her long to sift through them and find the one of her father, tapping off the broken chunks of glass and relieved the photo itself wasn't damaged. The black tape that adorned the photos of deceased members was there too, just in the corner and tugged at her heart.

Alex smiled warmly at the dark haired man with the cocky grin, holding up the placard of information. Despite the bullshit, the drinking, the days and nights of worrying and the self destruction he went through for the two years before he died, she loved her father greatly. She loved him and missed him, even now after all these years. She kissed her fingertips and pressed them to the picture in loving memory of the man that tried to raise her and set it back on the table before getting back to work.

Chuckie was attempting to sweep and despite having nearly no fingers, he was doing surprisingly well. The only problem was it would take far too long with only him. So, deciding to help, she had him straighten and fix the furniture while she took the broom over the floor. At least this way it would be done quickly and the chance of stepping on the pieces left behind was slimmer.

Hours had passed and at one point, the cops called her. She reluctantly talked to them. It wasn't like they were going to tell her anything she didn't already know. There were no finger prints left behind. There were no witnesses and there was nothing tying Emmett to the vandalism at her place. As far as they knew or cared for that matter, she did it herself. She was pissed but expected it. Frustrated, she decided to work on the dorm rooms. The cops had tossed those too, probably looking for illegal weapons or something. Like the Sons were that damn stupid.

Annoyed about everything, Alex grabbed a trash bag and began tossing shit into it that was ruined, chunks of wall and so forth. True the room was shit, but she needed it and liked it. It felt like a second home to more than half of them and she was on that list.

By the time she grabbed the clean sheets and blankets from the dryer, she heard the procession of bikes coming up. The sound still made her heart flutter for some reason. A smile touched her lips as she piled all her laundry into her arms, kicked the dryer door shut and began to walk out of the back room towards the bar. She wished the layout wasn't so wonky sometimes, but mostly didn't care.

"Hey boys." She greeted with a smile as Clay and Bobby walked in first.

Neither of them looked happy and it forced her to hesitate, her smile faltering almost instantly.

"Everything okay?" she asked, concerned something bad may have happened.

"Everything's fine sweetie." Clay replied with a forced smile, his tone a bit tense though he was trying to hide it.

She nodded reluctantly, still eying the two. Bobby didn't seem as convinced by Clay's words as she was certain the Prez wanted. The stout man shook his head, dissuading her from asking further questions and she wisely didn't. As the two started making their way towards Church to have their conversations about who knew what, Alex starting to move towards the dorm. Clay paused at the door and spun on his heels.

"Alex," he called, she stopped and waited to hear what he wanted to say. "You sticking around for a while?"

"Yeah, why?" she asked confused.

"Just hang out. I need to talk to you."

"Okay…" she muttered, her brows coming together as he walked into the Chapel. Bobby was hesitating to enter. "I do something I should remember?" she asked the treasurer.

"Huh? No," Bobby said quickly. "No, we're just gonna run some stuff by you. Don't worry about it honey."

"Okay." She nodded again, still uncertain about what was happening.

Not long after, Jax and Opie came walking in. She smiled warmly to both, each looking slightly apprehensive when they saw her. It wasn't the same look she got from Bobby and Clay, but close enough it bothered her. Her smile faded again as they moved into Church without speaking to her.

Confused and marginally uncomfortable with how they were acting around her, Alex elected to finish with the room before things got weirder. Shaking the look in their eyes from her mind, she went about making the bed, one of the few things her body let her do without hesitation or pain.

Not ten minutes later, there was a light knock on her door. The thing was open so it was only a courtesy. Curiously, she turned to see one of the Prospects standing behind her.

"They want to talk to you." He told her quietly.

"Yeah, sure." Alex replied, feeling her heart beating erratically in her chest.

Hesitantly, she made her way to the Chapel, walking through the plywood doors and seeing most of the men within staring at her with an expression bordering on pain. She raised a skeptical brow to the whole situation, closing the door behind her like she knew to do.

"I suddenly feel like I'm thirteen again and I'm going to get scolded for stealing dad's car like last time." She muttered.

A few of the oldest members smiled weakly at the memory, but the tension was hardly broken like she'd hoped. It was unnerving how most if not all the men her eyes fell to diverted their gaze from hers quickly. Her brows pulled together as she turned hopefully to Clay.

"What's this about?"

"Alex honey," Piney began in a hoarse, unsteady voice like he tended to have.

She glanced to the man, a bit surprised he was the one speaking and not Clay. He was still looking down, breaking apart a new cigarette as he thought about what to say, but it didn't seem to be coming to him. Her brows came together tighter than before. Minutes ticked by and no matter who she looked to, none of them met her eyes for more than a glimpse.

"Someone say something." She demanded, hating the grating silence. It was deafening.

"Alex, something… something's come to our attention." Clay began, trying to sound as diplomatic as he could, trying to distance himself from the emotion.

"Like?"

"About the Sheriff department's visit to your house this morning."

She immediately shot an evil glare to Juice. The man could feel the cold stare but refused to look up and see it. He'd pissed off a couple women in his life and knew from experience the god awful stare. But he didn't have to look at her to feel it prickle at the back of his neck.

"And?" she growled through clenched teeth.

Clay paused for a moment, sitting to the side like he tended to though facing her. He tapped his fingers a couple of times before looking up at her with a sad expression.

"We know your old man's the one nailing road kill to your door." He told her, watching her jaw clench so tightly it looked painful. "We know he's been smacking you around and he's looking for seconds."

Alex actually let the growl escape her mouth this time and this time she moved. Alex suddenly lurched forward enough to slam her foot into the back of Opie's chair, sending him forward almost violently. His gut smashed into the table and forced him to grunt. The others in the room looked at her, giving her their full attention with a mixture of shock and pity.

"God damn it Ope!" she yelled, knowing he was the one that had to have said something. "Worse than a bunch of fucking old maids."

And without waiting to hear what else had to be said or what they wanted, she turned and left. Her anger was palpable and her slamming open the door wasn't making it any less obvious. She stormed off, Opie and Jax glancing to Clay.

"Go." He told them both, knowing they were probably the only two that could keep her from killing anyone.

"You got our proxy." Jax managed to say before disappearing, Opie giving the man a nod before leaving the Chapel. Neither knew how long they were going to have to calm down the woman and this vote was too important to keep wavering.

Not hesitating, the two sprang up and followed after the young woman before she had time to drive off pissed. Clay rubbed his head; each who knew the girl expected this kind of reaction. They'd have gotten the same from anyone else when they brought up secret shit like that. Clay and the other old dogs didn't blame her for the outburst, surprised she went after Opie, but not surprised by her anger. Personal shit is personal shit and if Opie thought she'd ever swallow her pride and ask for help, he probably never would have said anything at all, but again, they knew Alex.

Opie and Jax raced for the young woman in the process of trying to get her keys out of her jeans pocket. She was so flustered and pissed off that she was having trouble with them catching. She was even muttering curses at them.

"Yo Alex, wait." Jax called, he and Opie reaching her quickly.

She didn't speak to them or bother looking up, but his voice was enough to get her to focus. With a solid yank and the sound of ripping fabric, Alex had the keys out of her pocket and soon enough she stabbed the key into the slot as Jax put her hand on his shoulder. She spun, smacking his grip off. Jax stepped away with his hands up, her red rimmed eyes glaring hatefully at them.

"Don't touch me." She hissed.

They could see the anger in her eyes. It was unavoidable. Alex tended to be volatile, like her mama was, and violent. When she was mad, she could very easily start hitting. True she hadn't gotten to the point of using weapons yet, but the punching and kicking was bad enough. Ask Opie.

"Where the _hell_ do you get off bringing up my shit with the Club huh?" she demanded loudly. "That's my business, not yours!"

"Look, just chill, okay?" he asked her in a calm voice. "We can deal with this, alright?"

"Deal with this?" she snapped. "There's nothing to deal with."

"That's bullshit and you know it." Jax replied in the same angry voice. "_Nothing_'s not having dead animals nailed to your god damn door and shit written on your walls in blood. That son of a bitch was in your house, he knows where you live."

"I can handle this." She said, turning back to her car and unlocking her door.

"No," he replied, closing the door when she opened it. "You won't."

She turned to him with the purest anger raging in her eyes.

"Back off Teller."

"That ain't gonna happen and you know it. He fucks with you, he fucks with the Club, and you know that too." He told her calmly. "Why you protecting this guy?"

"Protecting him?" she snapped, moving forward and pushing the man firmly in the chest. Jax stumbled back a step. "Protecting him?!" she shoved him again and Jax had to force himself not to be angry from the action. Any other bitch and he'd grab her, but he knew better now. He had to treat this like Tara going ape shit. "That son of a bitch tortured me for fun! I don't give a flying _fuck_ what happens to him, but you don't have the right to bring _my_ shit to the table. If I wanted SAMCRO's help, I would have asked."

"Then why didn't you?" Opie asked, finally joining the conversation. "Why didn't you tell us this shit years ago?"

She scoffed, shaking her head and blinking away a few of the tears that had gathered.

"I'm not explaining my life to you," she told him in an eerily calm voice. "Any of you. I'll deal with this. You hear me?"

"Jesus Christ Alex," Jax snapped. "Stop being so fucking proud."

"Just drop it, okay?!"

"No. Fuck that. That son of a bitch is gonna pay for every fucking mark he left on you."

Alex's eyes went wide. Jax was so pumped up with adrenaline and anger he found himself biting at his bottom lip and nodding curtly.

"You think I didn't see that shit yesterday? Huh?" he snapped.

She didn't speak, not certain her voice would hold the power and moved back to her car. She could already feel the tickle in the back of her throat preceding the tears and knew her voice would crack.

Jax, more annoyed by her stubbornness now than anything, growled and reached for her arm. He gripped her bicep and spun her around. Alex immediately tried to pry herself free, twisting and wrenching her arm from the man with horrible side effects.

White hot pain seared her body and clouded her vision. Alex cried out instantly and curled herself to her side, Jax stepping back with his hands in the air in resignation, fearing he might hurt her again. Opie closed his eyes for a moment, seeing her do this before.

Alex bent over to steady the nausea inducing pain she had inflicted on herself. The problem with injuries like these was they were easy to forget sometimes or you could get used to the constant, dull throb of them and inevitably do something stupid like she did. That and they took forever to heal.

She bit back the sobs that threatened to come out, slamming her eyes shut and shaking. Jax watched horrified as she trembled and took in one shaky breath after another, clutching her ribs desperately.

When she was able to open her eyes and see again, Alex stood upright, pressing her back to her car and letting her head fall back so she could stare aimlessly at the sky. Jax and Opie could both see the tears still stream down the sides of her face, her cheeks a brilliant pink from the pain.

With another steadying breath or two, she adjusted herself, wiping her hands across her face to rid herself of the dampness and look as though nothing had happened. On shaky legs, Alex stood, using her car for more stability than she thought she'd need, but glad it was there.

"Jesus," Jax sighed under his breath. Alex looked through her tear stained lashes at the man, a bit of the anger still there. "The hell did he do to you darlin'?"

Her brows pulled together tightly. She didn't want to say and he seemed to know. Jax moved forward slowly, his arms out to the side to show he wouldn't grab her again before he gently wrapped them around her. Alex seemed to hesitate before returning the hug. She buried her face in the nape of his neck, him doing the same in her hair and hold the back of her head tenderly. He didn't dare hug her tightly, fearing a repeat of her previous reaction.

He stroked the back of her head for a moment before pulling back enough to cup her cheeks. Alex held his hands gently in hers as he looked mournfully down at her. Jax moved forward enough to press his lips to her heated forehead. Ordinarily she'd give him hell for his whiskers scratching her, tell him his peach fuzz wasn't fooling anyone or that he should stop trying to play grown-ups, but she didn't seem to notice this time. He held his lips there for a moment, pouring about as much remorse into the action as he could before moving back and staring her in the eyes.

"You want us to back off, fine, but you know the cops won't find him in time." He told her softly. "Then there's arrest, trial and all that other bullshit. You'd have to testify."

"What are you going to do?" she asked in the same tone.

"Whatever you want us to." Opie answered honestly. "We won't make a move unless you want us to."

Alex shifted enough to see him staring at her with a pained expression. Her eyes moved up and down him for a moment before a weak smile tugged at her lips.

"How's your stomach?" she asked with a smirk.

Both men let a chuckle escape, Jax moving enough to loop his arm around her shoulder.

"Where the hell were you planning on heading anyway?" Jax asked her, blatant teasing knowing she was staying at the Club House. "The supermarket?"

"Jesus you're an ass." She sighed, shrugging off his arm.

The two men only laughed when Jax noticed Tara coming out of Gemma's office, the two women standing there as the rest of the Club came out of the bar. Opie motioned to Jax, the man readily agreeing to see his bride to be and give the two a minute alone.

"Hey," Opie muttered, glancing around to make sure no one was very close. "Look, I'm sorry about that." He noticed her fidget slightly. "I didn't mean to tell your business, but I was kind of pissed. Just came out."

"It's fine Ope." She answered reluctantly. "I guess I overreacted."

He raised a brow, a smile touching his lips.

"You went Bruce Lee on the back of my chair." He teased.

"Better than the back of your head." She countered.

He chuckled and reached forward, snatching her shoulder and pulling her into a hug. She curled to his chest tightly, her face pressed into his cut and the familiar scent of leather and cigarettes filling her nose.

"The Club's here for you, okay?"

She nodded into his cut. Opie leaned down enough to kiss the top of her head like Jax had and squeezed her for a moment before letting her go. When he had, she finally noticed how pissed half the members looked. Evidently they had continued with their meeting while Ope and Jax did damage control. Her brows came together as Bobby sped off on his bike.

"Bad meeting?" she asked worriedly.

"Yeah." He sighed, looking around at the ones slowly leaving on their own. "You can say that."

She pulled back in his arms enough to see his face.

"What's going on Opie?" she asked.

"Don't worry about it. Club shit." He tried to leave it at that, to let go and walk away, but she didn't release him when he did her.

Instead, Alex tightened her grip, locking her hand around her wrist and ensuring he couldn't walk off. Opie looked down at her. She knew he wouldn't shove at her, not after she hurt herself like she did. He was stuck.

"What's going on?" she pressed.

"I can't tell you that."

"You can, you just won't." she corrected.

"Exactly." He said. "Just drop it."

"No. You owe me this Ope." She told him, squeezing tighter when he tried to wiggle out.

"How do you figure that?" he asked with a quizzical stare.

She raised a brow.

"You bring my shit to Church; you can tell me why everyone's so pissed."

He grumbled to himself, trying to get out of her arms but she wouldn't let it go. He knew what he was going to have to do and he didn't like it, not when he finally calmed her down. Reluctantly, he hardened his eyes and looked down at her.

"You're not in SAMCRO. You're not anyone's ol' lady. You're not in the loop." He told her flatly.

Alex looked at him stunned, releasing her grip and stepping away. She knew everything SAMCRO did when she lived here from the guns to what have you. It was just part of the shit she would talk about with Jax and Opie. Habit honestly. She grew up in it just like they did and the only reason she wasn't actually in SAMCRO was because Alex was a _she_. If Alex was short for Alexander instead of Alexandr-_ia_, her ass would have been patched in years ago right along side Jax and Ope. Everyone knew it, so the way he was acting now only pissed her off.

"Fine." Alex scoffed, a disbelieving smile touching her lips. "Fine. Your shit is your shit; you don't have to tell me anything." She told him, putting her hands up in resignation as she took steps back. "But don't expect anything from me either."

"Alex," Opie sighed, wanting her to understand why he couldn't say anything but she didn't want to hear it.

Alex raised a hand to silence him and walked back to the Club House. She didn't want to hear it. Evidently, him airing her dirty laundry to everyone was fine but God forbid he tells her what's going on.

Opie didn't stop her, growling to himself as he moved towards his bike to leave. He didn't have time for this right now. Tomorrow morning, they had a run to make.


	11. Chapter 11

Brick

Ep. 5

The boys came back about three days after their run to Arizona. Alex was still in the Club House's dorm room. She didn't want to go home even though the cops had cleared her place. Granted they cleared it yesterday, but the thought of having to wash the blood off the wall and paint over it was disgusting. It still made her skin crawl.

She was making her way out of the room, her hair still damp from the shower she had taken. She knew she needed to do it, the cleaning, and she might as well do it now. If she started hiding, she may never stop. Besides, the Club House was always open to her.

Her bags were never unpacked, easy enough to move. She'd grab them later, maybe. Right now she needed to head to the hardware store and by pool cleaner, the acid wonderful for blood (or so she heard…) and painting supplies. When she walked out of the backroom however, and saw Piney stewing in the bar, she had to stop to talk to him.

"You alright Papa?" she asked, coming around to sit next to him.

Piney looked up to see who was speaking to him and sighed as she took her seat.

"I'm fine darlin'." He answered in the same dejected voice.

"Bullshit."

He turned to her with a raised brow.

"Excuse me?"

"I'm calling you out Old Man." She smiled. "Bullshit."

He chuckled, shaking his head lightly as his eyes fell back to the table top he was picking at when she came out.

"You caught me." He smiled halfheartedly.

"Is it your oxygen?" she asked worriedly. "You scared the shit out of me the other day, ending up in the hospital like that."

"No, sweetheart." He sighed patting her hand with his reassuringly. "No, that's fine."

"Seriously," Alex said, putting her hand on his to keep him from removing it. "What's going on?"

"It's a long story."

Her brows pulled together as she looked at her last father. She hated seeing him so sad, worried and all around unhappy. It broke her heart because she loved him so much.

"This about why everyone's on edge?"

He took another deep breath of oxygen, letting her fingers fall under his hand and clasped them gently.

"You came back at a bad time honey." He told her sadly. "The Club ain't what it used to be."

Her brows came together tighter.

"Something happen? Is everyone okay?"

"For now." He answered, rubbing his thumb across her knuckles as he held her hand. His eyes moved to hers and she could see the concern plain as day. "Club's moving into dangerous territory. There's no telling how this shit's gonna go."

She stared at him with the same confusion, her mind working overdrive to try and figure out what could have him this worried. It wasn't guns. They had been doing that for twenty years or better. She doubted it was explosives. To be honest, it wasn't likely anything people could kill each other with. It was something else, something worse, something they didn't do before. It took her a moment, but Piney could see the understanding touch her eyes, her jaw tensing slightly.

"Tell me SAMCRO isn't doing what I think they're doing?"

He shook his head again, his eyes moving to their hands.

"I wish I could sweetheart."

"Jesus Christ." She sighed, resting her face in her spare palm as she thought. "Are they dealing?"

Piney looked up at her again and could see the shame and fear that was starting to surface.

"Not yet but it's only a matter of time with this shit." He told her honestly. "And that's if the cartel doesn't kill them first."

Her head snapped to him.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" she hissed under her breath. "Are they stupid? How did something like this pass?"

"Barely." He replied. "And greed. Greed can blind any man."

She retracted her hand and buried her face into her palms.

"Oh my god." She sighed. "No wonder Ope wouldn't say anything to me."

"Look," he said softly, reaching forward and taking her hand again. Alex looked at the man leaning towards her. "I'm doing my best to change their minds, but you need to promise me something."

She nodded.

"You watch my boy, okay?" he told her honestly. "He's too damn loyal for his own good. It can get him killed if he's not careful."

"Jax wouldn't let that happen."

"I don't know what the hell that boy's thinking nowadays." He sighed. "So I need you to take care of him, keep his mind right."

"He won't listen to me."

"You make him listen." He said sternly. "You tell him something, he listens, trust me. So you promise me you'll keep him straight."

"Of course." She told him, fearful by the intensity he was speaking to her. "Yeah, of course Piney. You know I will."

"Good." He told her, seemingly relieved by her words as he stood. "Oh, and there's something else."

Alex felt her shoulders fall. How could there be more? How could he possibly build onto this heaping pile of shit?

"I want you to look out for Tara too."

This time sheer confusion turned into staunch bewilderment. Alex felt her mouth open briefly before closing. Of all the people he'd ask her to look after, Tara hadn't been on any list Alex could think of.

"O…kay. Uh, why?"

Piney glanced around for a moment, ensuring they were as alone as possible and no one in a cut was nearby before meeting her eyes.

"She found some things that might get her the wrong kind of attention, with Clay." He explained, sort of. "Just keep her safe, keep her honest. If there's anyone round here that can do it, it's you."

"I don't understand."

"She's got something that can help save this Club, save your brothers," Piney pressed, trying to instill his desire for her to listen to him. "From this bullshit Clay's pulling them into and at some point, she might waver or be tempted to give it up to the wrong people. You tell her to keep it locked tight, not to give it to anyone that isn't Jax. You hear me?"

"Yeah." She breathed, unsure of how she was expected to take what she was being told. "Yeah, of course. But what about Ge…"

"No." he snapped, interrupting her quickly. "She's whispering in Clay's ear anymore. Baby girl, you're the only other person I know around here I can trust. You're not blinded by this greed, so just do that for me. Please."

Alex wouldn't say no to the man regardless of his request, but there was something different about this one. There was desperation in his voice, in his eyes and a hint of fear she had never seen from the six foot five man. Again she nodded quickly, still staring frightened at the man.

Piney seemed to breathe easier when she agreed the final time. His face instantly relaxed, the lines he already possessed seeming less pronounced then before. His eyes had even calmed when he looked back at her face and forced a weak smile.

"Thank you, Alexandria." Piney sighed, the only man she truly allowed to call her by her name save her biological father. He patted her shoulder and leaned down, kissing the top of her head. "Love you sweetheart."

"Love you too Piney." She answered, still a bit confused.

He forced a brief smile and made his way out of the building towards his bike. She sat there for a moment in disbelief of what he told her. How could they let something like this go through? What the hell was going on?

Alex sat there thinking about it so hard her head began to hurt. Wanting to relieve the stress, she stood and made her way outside. Shaking her head, she noticed Jax not too far away.

"Hey Jackie!" she called, the young man looking up from his bike as he strapped on his helmet.

"Hey," he smiled. "Feeling better?"

"I'm fine." She muttered, knowing he was asking about her reacting the other day.

She forced herself not to say anything about it when she caught sight of Opie out of the corner of her eye in the garage. He did little more than glance to her before going about his work. The two hadn't said anything since the Club came back last night and until he stopped acting like a dick, she probably wouldn't run over to greet him. Alex was still a bit hurt by his sudden change.

"Where you boys heading?" she asked, her eyes shifting back to Jax.

He smiled crookedly at her.

"Porn house." He chuckled, Alex raising a brow to the man with her own disbelieving grin. "We've got some shit to discuss with Georgie Porgie."

"The hell's that?"

"A big dick porn hustler. Me, Ope and a couple of the guys are heading by the see Lyla, see if she can get us a meet."

Alex nodded, not sure how she was supposed to understand what she was hearing. It was just strange; then again the boys ran their own porn house for a time being so maybe not.

"Look, can I ask you a favor?" she finally asked.

"Yeah, sure. What's up?"

"I'm going to be doing some work at the house," she began, his face turned serious.

"Cleaning duty?" he asked, a cocky smirk forming when she stuck out her tongue.

"Among other things." She sighed. "But yeah. I might be there for a few hours, late even. You think you can spare some Prospects or something? Just having the bikes parked outside would help."

"Yeah, of course. I can send Rat and Miles over there if you want."

"Only if you can spare them."

"Yeah." He chuckled. "No worries. Send 'em over round dusk? That work for you?"

"Yeah, thanks." She smiled, he could see her relief. "I appreciate it."

"No problem."

"I'll just need them for a little while, till I get shit squared away."

"You sure you don't need them now?"

"No. I'll take care of it. I think I'm good in the daylight." She tried to say lightheartedly. "Besides, I've got some errands to run. Hey, Tara working?"

He nodded again, starting up his bike.

"Yeah. She should be there now. Why?"

Alex shrugged and immediately formed a lie.

"Didn't really want to deal with an appointment and stuff with my doc. Rather just give her my old prescription and see if she can write me a new one."

He chuckled again and shook his head at the young woman.

"Okay." He laughed. "Well, she working and I'll send the Prospects by later."

"Thanks Jackie."

"You got it darlin'." He smiled, riding off and towards his destination.

Alex didn't waste any time, gathering her things and making her way to the store to get everything, anything she might need. She was going to fortify her house. It may not be fire safe, what she planned to do, but when Emmett was dead, she would take it down.

Afterwards, after her vehicle was stuffed full of all manner of utilities and supplies, she was going to stop by St. Thomas and speak with Tara and hopefully figure out what the living hell was going on around here.

~~!~~

Alex found herself walking through the halls of Saint Thomas hospital looking for the young doctor. Thankfully when she asked one of the nurses, they knew who she meant and told Alex where to find her. Sure enough, Alex found Tara walking out of a patient's door with her files in her hands. When she looked up, the doctor couldn't hide her surprise to see Alex.

"Alex, hi." She said unsurely.

"Hey. Uh, is there somewhere we can talk?"

"Yeah," Tara muttered apprehensively. "My office. It's this way."

Alex nodded and followed the young woman through the identical halls into Tara's office. Tara stepped to her desk and set down her paperwork while Alex closed the door behind her. Tara couldn't fight her nervousness at the action, Alex even going so far as to lock it behind her.

"I uh… I need to ask you something."

And Alex's own nerves weren't helping the doctor relax either.

"Something wrong?"

"Yeah." Alex said, her brows coming together. She glanced to the chair in front of Tara's desk. "Can I…?"

"Oh, yeah." Tara responded, trying to look braver than she currently felt. Slowly, she slipped into her own chair and waited. "So, is everyone okay? Or is this personal?"

Alex could tell she was asking about the young woman's own injuries and shook her head. Despite what she told Jax, this had nothing to do with what Alex had sustained.

"No, it's uh, it's not about me… not really at least." She muttered, looking more nervous than Tara had ever seen her. With a reassuring breath, Alex steeled her resolve and looked back to Tara. "Piney told me something… odd today."

Tara's eyes instantly hardened. She tensed her jaw and leaned back into her chair. Now she knew what was making Alex so nervous.

The doctor was instantly pissed off at the old man. He wasn't supposed to say anything. He was supposed to keep his damn mouth shut but here he was blabbing to Alex of all people. He might as well tell Gemma if he hadn't already.

"And?" she asked tersely.

"Look, I don't know what the hell's going on," Alex said honestly. "Or why Piney told me I need to look out for you, but he did."

"Wait, look out for me? What's that supposed to mean?"

"I don't know." She shrugged honestly. "All he told me was you had something that could get you the wrong kind of attention in the Club. He said it was something that could help them though, pull them out of whatever the hell is going on right now."

"He didn't tell you what it was though?" she asked.

Alex shook her head.

"He wants me to keep you honest."

"The hell is that supposed to mean?" Tara asked, suddenly offended.

"Look, I don't know." Alex snapped defensively, assuming Tara's irritation was with her. "He's scared about something Tara, something the guys are doing and whatever the hell it is you found, he thinks it can save them. Can it?"

Tara hesitated to say anything for a moment, thinking to herself and wondering if John's old letters could do anything. Slowly she began to realize that yeah, they might be able to put shit right.

"Maybe." She answered, unwilling to give Alex more than that.

"Then you hold onto them and don't give them to anyone." Alex told her sternly. "Lock that shit up, or away or whatever, but don't give it to anyone you can't trust."

Tara found herself nodding. She was already pretty positive she couldn't give them to anyone in the Club or even associated with them. Maybe back in the day he could trust Alex with it, but she had her doubts right now.

"Why'd he come to you with this? Why not anyone else?" Tara asked after a moment of silence.

"I don't know." Alex sighed, leaning back in her chair and looking at the ground. As she thought about his words, a smile began to tug on her lips. "I guess its cause I've been gone so long, I'm not as tied into everything like I used to be."

Tara nodded to herself. That probably would be a good enough reason to trust her. Alex hadn't been as connected as she used to be, as sucked into everything like she was as a kid. Her mind was clearer.

"Do I even want to know what the hell it is you found?" Alex asked after a minute.

Tara met her eyes and could tell she was honestly torn between wanting to know and being better off in the dark. Honestly, they're just letters but people were talking about them like they were a bomb about to go off.

"I found some of John's old letters, that's all." Tara replied, downplaying the items despite not knowing why the hell she was saying anything to begin with.

"Ah." Alex nodded. She still didn't get it, but more pieces fell into place. At least now she understood why Clay was so worried about them. There were a lot of members in the Club now that were at John's side before he died, trusted the man thoroughly and if it was bad enough, Clay knew it'd be the end of him. "That explains why he said Jackie's the only other person that should read them."

"He did?" Tara asked. She nodded. "What else did Piney say?"

"That's about it." Alex sighed. "He said whatever it was you found could save Opie and Jax from whatever Clay's pulling them in to, put the Club on the right track and that I need to make sure you don't waver."

"Waver?" she asked insulted. Alex could tell.

"Don't be mad." Alex said kindly. "He's worried someone's silver tongue might make an impression and get you to let your guard down, to give them to someone who might destroy them."

Tara didn't have to ask to realize Alex was talking about Gemma. Of all the women either of them had met in their lives, there wasn't another like Gemma Teller. The two of them found themselves sitting in silence, each thinking about something different before Tara spoke.

"I'm not planning on giving them to Jax either." She finally said.

Alex glanced up and creased her brows.

"Why not? He might want to read them someday."

Tara shrugged her shoulders.

"To be honest," she hesitated, refusing to look at Alex when she continued. "We're leaving."

Alex felt her head tilt to the side, her eyes narrow. After a moment of silence, Tara daringly looked up to see Alex staring at her confused.

"By leaving, you mean…?"

"Charming." Tara explained.

"Does Jax know this?"

Tara nodded.

"He's going to help them with their new deal and when it's done, we're leaving, all of us." She said matter-of-factly. "We're getting out of Charming and he's getting out of SAMCRO."

Alex had to stop for a moment to process what she was hearing. It was a lot to take in all at once, that her brother was leaving after she came home, but part of her was proud too. Still, pride or no, her eyes began to burn with the prospect of possibly not getting to see Jax often, if at all depending on where he went.

"That's good." Alex said through forced breath and smile. "Yeah, that's good. I'm happy for you guys."

Tara could tell Alex was upset, her eyes glossing just enough to show the doctor she was nearing tears.

"Why don't you leave too? You already did once." Tara offered, thinking that was the reason Alex seemed hesitant.

"No," she sighed, still wearing an uncomfortable smile and shaking her head softly. "I can't leave again."

"Why? There's nothing here anymore. You could go anywhere if you wanted."

"No, I couldn't." Alex repeated, sounding about as certain as before. "I can't leave Opie here, not alone."

Tara's eyes narrowed skeptically.

"He's not alone. He's got Piney, Lyla, his kids, he's fine."

Alex found herself smiling weakly, staring at her hands as she picked at her fingernails. Again she shook her head softly.

"He's too loyal for his own good." Alex said quietly. "He'll never leave SAMCRO and without Jax here, he'll need someone to keep him steady."

"That's Lyla's job."

Alex looked back to Tara and raised a brow wearing a sarcastic smile.

"As sweet as she is, you really think she's got the balls to slap some sense into that man?" she asked with a light laugh.

Tara let a smile cross her face whether she wanted to or not. She could see the genuine caring in Alex's eyes, the worry of leaving Opie alone and it was endearing. Alex was strong, there was no denying it and you had to be raised in SAMCRO, so maybe Tara shouldn't be as worried about her as she was. So why was Tara worried?

"You love him, don't you?" Tara found herself asking. Part of her didn't think Alex would answer, or she'd hesitate beforehand.

"Of course I do." Alex replied without waiting. "I love both of them."

Tara's smile turned genuine. Nope, there was something more between Alex and Opie, even if the two of them didn't see it, everyone else did and now Tara could count herself among them. Slowly, Alex's smile began to falter causing Tara's to do the same.

"If you get the window," Alex began in a stern but quiet voice. "You take those boys and Jackie, and you get the hell out of here. You hear me?"

"That's the plan." Tara agreed.

"And you don't look back."

That part made Alex's voice waver and Tara could see why. It meant leave her in the dust too along with the rest of the Club.

"Don't look back and don't give those letters to a soul associated with us save Jax."

"I won't." Tara agreed again.

With a nod, as though agreeing or trying to regain some kind of control over the situation despite being completely lost, Alex stood. She cleared her throat and adjusted her clothes despite nothing being wrong with them. Tara found herself doing the same, standing and walking with Alex towards the door to her office.

"Hey, Alex?"

She turned to Tara, noting the concern on the doctor's face.

"You're not going to tell anyone about the letters, are you?"

Alex understood why she asked, the inherent paranoia associated with having something as incriminating as this so she didn't take offense. Instead she smiled kindly and shook her head.

"No. Your secret's safe with me." She teased lightly.

Tara nodded, her own genuine smile returning. Alex could see the relief behind it.

"Thanks."

Alex nodded, unlocking the door and taking her leave. After all, the young woman still had work to do at home.


	12. Chapter 12

**Holy shit my chapters are really long... hahaha. You guys are awesome! Every time I get a new comment, I just wanna keep going! You rock! Hope you like it. Things are going to get really, really hairy here in the next couple chapters. Yay ensuing violence! haha.**

Brick Pt.2

Around six that night, Alex heard a pair of motorcycles making their way towards her house. Alex put the drill down and went outside to meet the two men coming up and parking near her car. She smiled warmly to the skinny man with a goatee and the other wearing the patches.

"Hi." She greeted.

"You're Alex?" the skinnier of the two asked.

"That'd be me." She smiled. "And you are?"

"Ratface."

"Ah." She chuckled, her eyes shifting to the larger man.

"Miles."

"Nice to meet you. Come on in."

The two men followed her into the house where Alex was already working.

"So uh, there anything you need us to do?" Rat asked.

"Yeah, if you don't mind."

"No. We can give you a hand." Miles muttered, his eyes focused on the faded words on her living room wall.

She heard the lofty tone of voice and realized he was staring at the wall she hadn't painted yet.

"My husband." She told him with a false smile. "Ever the charmer, huh?"

"What is that?" Ratface asked, seeing the brownish tint.

"Cat blood." She answered simply, picking up her drill.

The two noticed she was screwing chunks of Plexiglas over her existing windows. Why, they didn't know, but she was doing it regardless. Then again, they had heard stories. No one went into extreme detail about it, but both had been there at the Club House when she went bat-shit, screaming at the older members and storming out. After that it was pieces of conversations about her and the blood on the wall was a pretty good sign.

"Now," she said when she secured the piece. "Each window that needs one of these has them leaning against the wall next to them. They've already been cut to fit the glass and the holes drilled, so all you have to do is go through and screw them up."

"Do you have another drill?" Miles asked.

"Yeah. Who wants to do it?"

"I can." Ratface said, holding up his hand. "I used to do construction. Won't take me long."

"Great." She smiled. "Spare drill's right there and the spare battery's in the charger in the kitchen. Should be set."

He nodded and went to work, picking up the power tool before walking into the kitchen that was visible from the living room.

"Do you need me to do anything?" Miles asked.

"You, my fine friend," she chimed, pointing to the man with the drill as she walked towards the door. "Are going to help me put new locks on the doors."

He seemed disappointed and she understood why. Things like door locks weren't hard, just a pain in the ass to do. But, he was a bit surprised by what she brought out of a bag. This thing looked like a barn door latch, that thick chunk of metal you slid into place to barricade a door shut.

"We're going to put one of these on the front, back and garage doors." She told him. "I'll hold it and you can screw the thing right into the stud, okay?"

"Sure." He shrugged, unsure of what to really say.

She smiled warmly, trying to put him a bit more at ease and it seemed to work. Together, they began, Ratface moving through the house screwing the Plexiglas over the window panes like she asked. They may not have known exactly why they were doing this, but it was obvious she was trying to keep someone out. About twenty minutes in, Jax called and said he needed the guys to guard the warehouse. She spoke to him when Miles didn't know what to say, asking for ten more minutes to finish up. He agreed.

"Thanks again guys. I really appreciate it."

"No problem." Rat replied, knowing they didn't really have a choice.

She smiled, knowing the same thing as she walked them to the door.

"I'll buy you guys a six pack a piece to say thanks. How's that?"

"Thanks." Miles smiled, excited about the free beer. "Bye."

"Bye." She waved as they both made their way to their bikes.

She watched from her porch as they backed out and sped off down the streets. When they were out of sight, she didn't hesitate. Alex closed the door and locked it with every lock she had, latching it too before propping one of those security stick things under the doorknob in case Emmett wanted to try and kick it down. She even left her porch light on.

The young woman wasn't expecting to stay the night at home, but she had to at some point and wanted to make sure everything was secured before then. She was pretty sure everything was covered. There was Plexiglas screwed over each window to the frame so he couldn't break in through a window. New locks on all the doors along with the support things and locks on the windows. She made sure both porch lights were on and the one in front of the garage to ensure he didn't have a shadow to sneak through and even parked her car in there too, something she never did.

As far as security went, it was about the best she could do save an alarm system, something she couldn't afford at the moment. Now all she had left to do after pulling every blind and curtain shut, was paint over that god damn wall. It was going to be a long night and the beginning of very, very long days…

~~~!~~~

With an X

Ep.6

It was almost eight thirty in the morning. Alex had barely slept an hour or more, slipping in and out while she was working through the night but the problem was she didn't turn off the lights. She left them on no matter the room and she wasn't one who could sleep in the light. The thought of the psycho lingering in the bushes didn't help.

If anything, she knew she had a bed at the Club House to crash in, one that was in the back room of a biker gang's headquarters and there was no way that dickhead was going to get in when everyone there knew his face. That was where she felt safest. The problem was, she was dangerously close to becoming a vampire. If she slept during the day when she knew he wasn't dumb enough to find her and was up all night… she'd hate it.

Alex stepped out of her car about the same time Jax rolled up on his bike. He smiled to her as she approached him, Alex doing the same.

"You look like shit." He teased.

"Didn't get much sleep." She replied honestly.

He nodded his understanding, his face a little more serious than before.

"You get shit squared away?" he asked as they walked into the bar.

"Yeah. The guys helped a lot. I appreciate it."

"No problem." He smiled, looping an arm around her shoulder as they walked in. She smiled back, yawning in the process. "Let's get you some coffee."

Alex sighed her gratitude as he walked behind the bar and grabbed a mug.

"You looking for Ope?" the young man loading beers into the cooler asked from behind the bar.

Jax looked up while pouring himself a drink, confusion on both the newcomers' faces.

"Why? He here?"

"Yeah, in the apartment."

Jax slid the coffee cup across the bar to Alex. She took it gratefully but neither of them understood.

"He wasn't waiting up for me was he?" she asked her other brother, fearing Opie may have done so.

"I don't think so." Jax said, emerging from behind the bar, still confused. "He didn't say anything about it."

Both of them knew the man still felt guilty about calling her out and it was possible that's why he was in the dorm, but he didn't call her to ask where she was. She hadn't heard from him at all actually after she left the Club a few days ago.

"Come on."

Jax reached out and tugged lightly on her arm, instructing her to follow. Alex took a large gulp of the burning coffee and set it down before she did. They both wanted to know if something was wrong. Out of everyone, Opie rarely if ever stayed here. The last time he did, Donna had died.

When they reached the door, Jax pushed his ear to it for a moment, searching for a sign of life, arguing or whatever. Jax walked in first, Opie pulling on his boots and looking incredibly unhappy about being seen.

"Hey, what you doing here?" Jax asked, slightly concerned something may have been wrong.

"Rough night." Opie sighed, still lacing up his boot.

Jax glanced over his shoulder at Alex standing in the doorway, looking worriedly at him. He shrugged when the bathroom door opened. Their attention quickly diverted to the porn star in the purple underwear. She smiled victoriously at the two strangers' wide eyed gapes.

"Well hi there." She cooed, adjusting her bra as she walked in and laced herself onto the bed behind Opie.

"Really rough." Jax muttered.

There was an awkward air in the room, Opie's eyes on Jax and the expression of extreme uncaring. It broke Alex's heart to see him like that, but it was nothing to the rage she felt at everything else.

"Come on Jax," she finally said making her presence known. Opie daringly looked to the side and saw her standing there with hatred boiling in her eyes. He sighed internally, Ima only happier. "Let's leave him to it."

"Yeah." Jax replied solemnly, turning and walking out.

He passed Alex in the doorway, the young woman remaining for a moment and staring at Opie. He struggled to keep his gaze with hers, knowing the look she was giving him. Without another word, she turned and closed the door behind her.

Opie groaned to himself, the porn bitch hanging on his back. He felt disgusting, not only for what he'd done but being caught. He knew Jax would understand but the look in Alex's eyes made him wonder if she wasn't going to be as pissed as Lyla would be, maybe more.

Alex was sitting at the bar drinking her coffee when he emerged from the backroom. He knew she heard him, her shoulders tensing almost immediately when he was near. He looked into the mirror's reflection and saw her staring angrily at him through it, daring him to say something to her. He could tell she was about to jump off, to rip into him so he decided instead to leave it, walk off, and ignore the situation entirely. She on the other hand couldn't sit there. To hell with sleeping, that wasn't going to happen now in a bed tainted by that porn star's pussy. No way in hell.

Pouring herself some new coffee, Alex pushed herself up and walked outside. When she had, Jax and Opie were sitting at the picnic table in the middle of talking. They stopped the moment she showed. Her deadly eyes never moved away from Opie before she walked off to the office. Jax sighed and shook his head as she disappeared into the room.

"She's pissed." He replied.

"I can tell." Opie answered halfheartedly, not truly caring.

"You know she's going to kick your ass right? She likes Lyla."

"It's not her business."

"Yeah," Jax chuckled. "You tell her that as soon as she's done whooping the shit out of you."

~~~!~~~

Gemma was sitting at her desk when Alex walked in and took a seat on the couch. The matriarch glanced to her, but did little else.

"Didn't get much sleep honey?" Gemma asked, writing an invoice up.

Alex shook her head, running her fingers through her hair and taking another sip of coffee.

"No, not really. Outfitted the house like a bunker though. Should be good, just couldn't actually sleep. Glad I didn't come here though."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, spinning in her chair enough to look at the young woman.

"The room was _preoccupied_ evidently."

"By who?"

Alex hesitated to say anything when Tara walked in with Thomas in her arms.

"Hey guys."

"Hey." They greeted.

She smiled kindly to them when her eyes fell to Alex taking yet another long, caffeine and sugar filled drink of her burning black coffee.

"Wow. You look like shit." She teased, eying the young woman with bags under her eyes.

"Jesus. You and Jax share a brain now?"

Gemma and Tara smiled, laughing lightly as Thomas tried to reach out for Alex. Tara struggled to hold the squirming little toddler in her arms.

"You mind?"

"Of course not." She replied, setting down her drink and standing to take the infant. "Hey buddy."

"So, what's up?" Gemma asked.

"I need you to watch him for a little bit. I have a staff meeting to get to and Alita is with Abel. That alright?"

The matriarch started to lead them out the garage office door, both young women following suit.

"Of course it is. How's Alita working out?"

"She's good. She's teaching Abel Spanish." Tara smiled.

"Just keep her away from Tig."

The two mused slightly over something Alex didn't understand when a taxi pulled up. The three of them eyed the occupant before Alex sighed.

"Oh Jesus." She muttered under her breath.

"Who's that?" Tara asked.

"Half of Satan's spawn." Gemma replied in a tone that matched Alex's discontented expression.

"Mama Gemma," the young woman with dark, multicolored hair smiled as she exited the brilliantly yellow cab. Gemma forced a smile.

"Hi honey." She greeted, hugging the young woman stiffly. "Daddy's not here right now Dawny."

"It's Margox now, with an X." she smiled. "He doesn't know I'm coming." Alex rolled her eyes and turned her back as the cabby tried to get their attention. "Sorry, got a twenty?"

Gemma again forced the smile and nodded, reaching into her pocket and handing off the cash. 'Margox' thanked her.

"Some shit never changes." Alex replied, apparently loud enough for the stranger to hear.

"Well," Dawn sighed, raising a skeptical brow and eying the young woman up and down. "Look who it is. How's it going _Alexandria_?"

Alex barely managed her own curt smile, her eyes steely and mean.

"Fine. And you _Dawn_?"

The smile faded instantly. It was a staring contest between the two and neither was willing to back down until Dawn noticed the baby in Alex's arms.

"So, Opie and Jax finally knock you up huh?" she asked bluntly causing all three of the women standing there to twitch. "Which one was it? I've always been curious?"

Alex fought the growl, as did Gemma and Tara.

"Well, you're half right. This is Thomas, Jax and Tara's son." She said pointing to the woman in the sunglasses. Tara didn't even bother with a fake smile, cocking her brow to the stranger. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've had my fill of your charms."

Dawn seemed to share Alex's contempt and had no problem letting her walk off. Tara wasn't far behind after grabbing for the car seat she had retrieved from her small SUV. She walked quickly to Alex's side inside the Club House.

"Who is that girl?" she asked quietly.

"Dawn, Tig's youngest." She sighed. "Crazy bitch just like her mama too."

"Yeah, she's uh… she's something."

"I can't stand her. She used to go around telling everyone I was fucking Jax and Opie at the same time."

"She sounds charming." Tara grumbled, disgust touching her features, and remembered briefly some kind of rumor along those lines when she was a kid just before she dated Jax. Hell, she was one of the people that believed it. The way the three of them hung out and how much time they spent together made it overly easy to see the trio having some kind of weird sex ring going on behind closed doors.

~~!~~

Gemma got off the phone with Tig, telling him Dawn was at the Club House. Alex cringed, feeling the young woman behind her. Dawn was bat shit crazy, all of them knew it, but no one said anything about it out of respect for Tig.

"Okay, well I have to go." Tara sighed, handing off the baby bag and smiling to her son in his car seat.

"See you later." Alex said.

"Bye baby." Gemma replied, hugging Tara when someone came out of the backroom.

Tara froze instantly, Alex looking up through her lashes at the hag and Gemma slowly realizing what they were eying. Her jaw nearly dropped.

"Morning." Ima chimed with a smile.

"The hell are you doing here?" Tara asked angrily.

"I was a guest."

"Who's?"

"Now is that really any of your business?" Ima asked with a scowl.

"Bitch, you better make it our business." Gemma replied.

"Why are you even still here hag?" Alex asked. "It doesn't take a half hour to look that trashy."

"You knew she was here?" Gemma asked the young woman.

"Yup." Alex replied sardonically. "FYI, we should burn the bed in the dorm. Don't know what came crawling off that skank ass."

Ima glared at her comment but none of the three seemed to give a shit. Gemma sighed, turning and looking back at the porn star.

"You have five minutes to get your skanky ass out of here. You hear me?"

"Or what?"

Gemma let a vindictive smile touch her lips.

"Stick around longer and find out."

Ima eyed the older woman, the seriousness in her stare and looked to the other two before turning and walking into the back room again. Tara turned to Alex almost instantly.

"Who was she here with last night?" she demanded in as even a voice as she could manage.

"Well didn't Jax come home last night?" Gemma asked her, interjecting to keep the fighting to a minimum.

"That's not the point. Who was she in the room with?"

Alex didn't speak, her eyes moving to Piney for a moment to see if he was listening when Lyla walked in the front door.

"Hey guys." She chimed, seeing the others.

Tara saw sadness touch Alex's face as she closed her eyes. The fear of having to relay information or even knowing it looked painful. When Alex opened her eyes again, she noticed Tara giving her a questioning look. Reluctantly she nodded ever so slightly.

"Have you guys seen Ope?" Lyla asked, walking into the room further.

"He's with the guys." Gemma replied, noticing the exchange between Tara and Alex.

"Oh, cause he didn't come home last night."

Gemma looked at Alex, the anger starting to come back to the young woman after walking in on Opie and Ima this morning.

"I'm sure he probably just crashed here. They were out kind of late last night." Gemma said.

"Did he stay here with you Alex?" she asked, a hint of worry in her voice.

"I was at home cleaning up crime scene evidence." She teased half heartedly. "I didn't get here until about eight, eight-thirty this morning. The bed was free so maybe."

She nodded but didn't seem put at ease by any of it. They could tell something else was wrong, something underlying what she was actually saying. All of them knew how Opie was for the most part, secretive and distant after Donna, so they assumed this was the problem.

"You okay sweetie?" Gemma asked, already partially sure what the problem was.

"Yeah," Lyla lied like she was on the verge of tears. "Yeah, no it's fine, it just… Ope's getting kind of distant. You know? Donna's ghost reigns pretty heavily in that house."

"Don't worry about it." Alex said, offering up an answer when the sound of bikes roared in the background. "Opie's never been one to fill anyone in on what's goes on in his head. He's just that stubborn."

"Yeah," Lyla laughed lightly, nodding her agreement. "Okay, well, thanks."

"No problem sweetie." Gemma smiled, the group making their way to the outside of the door by the picnic tables.

"Hey." Bobby greeted. "You looking for Ope or something?"

"I was but…" Lyla stopped when her eyes fell to an all too familiar vehicle in the parking lot.

Without saying another word, she spun on her heel and went back inside.

"Shit." Gemma sighed, everyone else following her in.

"No body says good morning anymore." They heard Ima muse when they joined the party.

"You spend the night?" Lyla demanded.

"You don't want to know sweetie."

"Why? Why him?"

"Hey, I was just following his lead. Married pussy is boring pussy."

"I'll kill you!"

Alex reached for Lyla to stop her when Ima pulled out a revolver.

"Hey! Back off or I'll blow a hole in that pretty little face of yours."

"How could you do this to me?"

"You know something? Why don't you ask the cock that was in _me_ last night?"

Lyla couldn't take the betrayal, screaming her frustration with the tears that followed and rushing off into the back.

"Get out." Tig replied, pointing a stern finger at the smiling porn slut.

She kept her gun aimed at everyone in the room, sure to keep them at a distance.

"Keep that .38 close bitch, you'll need it." Tara warned.

Alex was standing beside her, both of them glaring hatred at the blonde.

"I'll be seeing you soon." Alex warned, an unnerving, evil smile tugging at her lips.

Ima kept her eyes on them all, backing out with her gun drawn and leaving.

"Fucking skank." Alex growled.

"You alright?" Gemma asked them both.

"Yeah." Tara replied, Alex only nodding.

"Hey, you should get to your meeting." Alex told the doctor. "We can take care of Thomas."

"No. I'll call in or something; tell them there was a family emergency."

"You sure?" she asked, Tara taking her son from Piney.

"Yeah." She sighed, kissing her little boy's forehead. Her eyes shifted to Alex and she could already see the question. "You already knew didn't you?"

Alex paused but reluctantly nodded.

"Me and Jax rolled up about the same time. One of the Prospects asked if we were looking for Opie, said he was in the apartment. I was worried he was waiting for me to get back or something but we walked in on him getting dressed, that slag in the bathroom."

"And you didn't say anything?" she hissed.

"The fuck was I supposed to say?" Alex demanded under her breath. "Jax already ripped into Opie about this bullshit."

Tara had to admit she felt a little better hearing Jax stood up against Opie for the stupid behavior. But still, it did little to quell the guilt that both of them felt about the situation and the burn Tara felt from the familiar betrayal.


	13. Chapter 13

With an X

Pt. 2

Alex sat at the bar on her third cup of coffee, Piney sitting beside her. Both were still rattled by Ima and the gun ordeal, but Piney was something more. Disappointment seemed to roll off his shoulders like a thick smoke, saturating everything and threatening to choke the life out of him.

"Alex, honey."

Alex shifted enough to see Piney staring at another broken cigarette resting in an ashtray.

"Yeah?"

"Do something for me sweetheart, will ya?"

"Of course. Anything."

Piney turned to look at her with a sad face.

"Beat some sense into my boy."

She laughed before she could stop herself causing the old man to smile despite the sorrow he felt. Alex shook her head, letting it fall into her open palm as the smile lingered.

"Consider it done." She replied, looking back at the man she considered one of her fathers.

"Someone sure as hell needs to." Piney sighed, his age never showing so much as it did at that moment. "Ever since Donna, I don't know what the hell's wrong with that boy."

"He loved her is all. He's never had much chance to get over her, has he?"

"No." he replied going back to picking apart another cancer stick. "I suppose not. But it's been a couple years. He needs to get over her, realize what the fuck he's doing."

"I don't know if he can get over her. She was always his rock, you know? He needs someone to slap him in the face and tell him he's an idiot every once and a while." She teased.

Piney shared the same weak and labored smile, gently grabbing Alex's hand in his. She tightened her grip on it and held firm as he did hers.

"I wish he would've been smart enough to pick you." Piney said, almost to himself.

Alex's face dropped, her brows pulling together slightly at the random words.

"What are you talking about?" she asked weakly.

Piney took a deep breath, still holding her hand tightly in his own and dwarfing it completely.

"I loved Donna like a daughter, but I always hoped he would've been smart enough to realize he already had a good thing." He said somberly, turning to smile at her. "I always thought the two of you would give it a shot."

She tried to force another smile, but Opie was a sore subject in the romantic sense with her.

"He was happy with Donna." She said even though it kind of hurt. "And I was happy for him."

And she was, even though she had once hoped the same thing Piney evidently expected to happen. Alex always did love Opie a little more than she probably should, but he had his Donna and seeing him in love and happy reluctantly made her happy for him.

"Hey, Ope and the guys are heading back now." Bobby said, mostly to Piney as he walked by.

The old man nodded and gently patted Alex's hand before standing to meet his son outside. Alex ran her fingers through her hair, thinking about what the man had said to her before going outside too.

Alex patted Piney's shoulders as she walked passed him to the office. Piney smiled endearingly to her in passing, knowing the second his boy emerged, he was going to show him just how disappointed the old man was in his son.

Gemma glanced up at the young woman coming in and sitting on the couch.

"The guys are on their way back." She said loftily, adjusting herself to lie down.

"You going to sleep in here?" Gemma asked with a light smile.

"Better than catching crabs in that bed." Alex said without hesitation, pulling a pillow under her head and closing her eyes. "Probably end up being some porn-pussy mutant strand too, something you have to burn off with gasoline."

Gemma chuckled to herself and went back to work, Alex asleep within seconds.

~~!~~

Alex woke some time later. She didn't know how long she'd slept, but the sun was setting in the distance. She stretched and bit back another painful groan when she had. Her side burned with fire and she knew immediately she'd slept wrong.

Alex rolled to sit up, holding her side as the fire pulsed with each heartbeat, seemingly sucking the life and energy from her the sleep had replaced. She reluctantly forced herself up and moved out of the office, Gemma kind enough not to lock her in.

When Alex walked through the doors to the clubhouse, nearly everyone was gone save a few people, an odd culmination of the riders. Her brows pulled together.

"Where is everyone?" she asked, her voice thick with sleep.

"Most of them went home." Bobby replied. "Juice is getting patched up over at Jax's place."

"What happened?"

"Just a mishap." He said, not willing to go any deeper into it than that. Alex didn't need to know that Miles was dead and managed to get a shot off on the other Son before dying.

She nodded but knew there was more when Gemma came out of the kitchen with a cup of coffee.

"Hey sweetie." She smiled. "Sleep well?"

"I guess." She sighed, stifling a yawn when Opie emerged from the back room. He all but paused when he saw her staring at him. "Can I talk to you for a sec Ope?"

It wasn't a real question, more a polite demand. He was seriously considering telling her no but knew better. Still he had to try.

"Not now Alex." He said simply.

"No. Now." She replied in a dangerous voice.

It was the response he expected, but he still didn't like hearing it. With her gaze hardened, she walked passed the man and back into the dorm room. Opie didn't want it to look like he was doing what she wanted, but everyone in the room knew Alex had a temper and one she didn't mind showing. Besides, they knew if he didn't go, she'd give him a gash over his good eye.

Opie followed after her, internally preparing himself for more shit he didn't want to hear as he walked through the dorm's doorway, closing it behind him so no one could hear what was about to happen. Alex turned to him, her back to the door when he walked through. She hadn't seen the cut before, but now it was so obvious.

"That your dad's handy work?" she asked, pointing to the wound.

He nodded silently. Both of them knew Piney was the only one that would lash out at Opie and hit him. Alex nodded to herself, walking leisurely around the room for a moment, neither willing to sit.

"What the hell happened Opie?" she asked, crossing her arms. "The hell were you thinking?"

"I don't want to talk about this Alex." He snapped under his breath, turning around to leave again. "Not now."

"Now!" she shot back angrily, not willing to have him walk out on her. Opie paused, his hand still on the door knob. "Since when can't you keep your shit in your pants huh?"

He suddenly spun around and charged her, looming dangerously over the young woman. The action frightened her, almost enough to make her curl into a ball, images of her past surging through her brain at that instant, but she fought it. She fought the urge to turn into a whimpering little girl and reminded herself Opie would never hit her. He wasn't Emmett.

"Since my fucking wife is taking birth control behind my back and killed our fucking kid!" he bellowed.

She hesitated for a moment as he lowered his head slightly, his hands resting on his hips. It was as though the words were enough to replace a giant weight on his shoulders.

"What?"

He didn't speak for a moment, still staring at the ugly, worn carpet. She watched as he took a deep breath and moved towards the bed, sitting heavily. The springs groaned under his weight as he put his elbows on his knees.

"Lyla had an abortion," he said in a thick voice. "Last year before the Stahl thing happened."

"Jesus," she gasped, her hand coming to her mouth. "Was it…"

Opie nodded slowly, his head still down.

"Yeah. It was mine."

"Oh Opie." She sighed, her heart suddenly heavy.

Alex walked forward, Opie looking up to see her. His face was conflicted as he looped his arms around her, hugging her close. Alex laced her arms around his head and cradled him to her, stroking his hair.

She was ready to yell at him for what he did, and probably still would, but she knew how Opie felt about family and in the end, something like this was probably devastating to him. Right now, she felt bad for him. Later she would rip into him like she promised Piney.

"I'm so sorry honey." She said softly.

He buried his face in her stomach, holding her hips as he pressed his forehead into her shirt. He held her still, unable to even tease about her chest resting on the top of his head as she stroked his dirty hair.

"It doesn't matter." He said finally into her shirt.

Her brow pulled together.

"What do you mean? You said you wanted a family with Lyla."

He took a deep breath and sighed, shaking his head again.

"I don't know what the hell I want." He answered, sounding truly defeated. "I thought the two of us having a kid would help things but…"

He pulled back and looked up at the young woman staring sadly down at him. She did her best to force a smile, still running her fingers through his hair.

"She's not Donna." Alex finished.

Whether he wanted to or not, Opie nodded. It was the sad truth, but truth nonetheless.

"Opie honey, you can't compare every woman to Donna. No one you hear me, _no one_ can take that woman's place." She said reassuringly. Opie watched her as she knelt down, his eyes never leaving hers as she sat on her knees, closer to eye level than before. "Donna was a wonderful woman, strong and a great mother, but you can't use her as a template for everyone else if you want to be happy again."

His brow pulled together.

"I miss her." He said quietly.

"I know. But Opie, you have to let her go."

"I don't think I can."

She reached up and hugged him, Opie returning the affection.

"You can't force everything Opie. If you're supposed to be with someone else, it'll just happen. You can't try and force it." She whispered.

She felt him nod again and tensed his grip to an unmanageable degree. Alex sucked in a sharp breath from the contact. Opie immediately released her and looked sadly at the side of her chest, knowing already where it was.

"Just a little sore." She answered with a fake smile.

Opie didn't believe her. Without asking, he took the hem of her skirt into his hand and began to pull it up again to see the damage left behind. Alex didn't stop him, shifting a bit so he could see it. The scar was no less surprising than it was the last time he'd seen it.

Cold sputtered through his veins as the uncomfortable tingle moved through his body. His stomach turned. Alex was averting her eyes from the look on his face, already having seen it before and suddenly jumped when he touched her.

She looked down to see Opie running his calloused fingers along the raised flesh. He held her ribs cage, an easy task with his massive hands, and let his thumb move back and forth over the scar. Sadness twisted his features again, but this time she knew it was at her expense. Alex sighed to herself, placing her hand over his to stop the action. Opie looked up at her as she took his hand into hers letting her shirt fall into place again.

"I'm fine Ope." She told him softly for the hundredth time since coming home. Alex forced a smile. "Promise."

"Why didn't you call me?" he asked.

It had been a question he was wondering since finding out she was hurt. It would raise its head then disappear again, but never left his mind. Why hadn't she called him, or the others for that matter? Why did she go through everything alone?

"I don't know." She finally answered. "I guess I just… I just gave up, after a while. I just didn't care anymore."

His brows pulled together a bit tighter than before at the thought of her giving up and basically rolling over to die. That didn't sound like the Alex he knew, the one that fought for anything, with anyone and for everything. He broke her. Emmett had broken her and there was no other way to say it.

"Look, Opie," Alex finally said, dipping down again to look at the man. She placed her hands on his knees, looking him squarely in the eyes and saw the sadness and confusion reflected back at her. "I love you, so much," she told him, glad to finally say it even if he thought it was platonic. "But this isn't you." He immediately sighed and looked away from her, unwilling to meet her gaze. Alex, refusing to let him ignore her, took his cheeks into her hands and directed his attention back to her, sitting up higher on her knees to ensure he was focused on only her. "I know you. You don't do this kind of shit. If you don't want to be married anymore, then don't be. Don't fuck some gash just cause you're pissed. Because, as much as I love you sweetheart, the next time you pull this shit, I'll break your fucking jaw."

A weak laugh left his lips. There was a bit of truth in her words and he knew she probably would. If there was one thing you didn't do around Alex was treat a woman, a real woman not a Crow Eater, like shit. You could do whatever you want to some slag you're banging, but he was married to Lyla now, the two making it official so this was unacceptable. He nodded slowly and forced her to smile too.

"Good." She said softly leaning up just enough to kiss his gently on the cheek.

Opie felt his eyes close at the tender action, Alex lingering a bit longer than she probably should have, but she couldn't help it. Her body wasn't listening to her brain.

Hesitantly, she pulled back but Opie didn't let her go far. Instead he took her hands into his and ensured her closeness, the young man pressing his forehead to hers. Alex didn't pull away, moving into what he silently asked her to do.

The two stayed that way for a moment, their foreheads connected and neither opening their eyes. It was a peaceful moment in a way, calm given everything else surrounding them. Opie felt better for it, like the bullshit in his brain was finally calming down even a little.

"Love you too Alex." He finally said, his voice low and rumbling.

Alex felt her heart jump slightly at the words and had to force herself not to read too much into them. Opie felt her nod before pulling back from him again. Hesitantly, he opened his eyes and saw her struggle to smile, gently cupping his cheek in one of her hands.

"I'm here, you know that right?"

Opie slowly nodded.

"Yeah." He told her in a mildly broken voice.

Opie felt his eyes move along her features, taking in everything like he had so many times before. As well as he thought he remembered her face, it always seemed different somehow. He couldn't pinpoint why, it just did.

Like the last time she was this close, Opie felt the urge to kiss her. Alex had to admit silently that she had the same notion. She was sober now, not that it would have mattered, but the desire hadn't gone away with the lack of alcohol. If anything it seemed stronger. But this was wrong. Opie was hurting and nothing more. To make things worse, he was married. Alex didn't consider herself an exception to the rule, still believing a married man is an untouchable man, no matter how much she wanted him.

Finally, after an incalculable amount of time, Alex managed to break her eye contact with Opie, clearing her throat and sitting back on her knees putting much needed distance between their faces. Opie didn't relent his grip on her hands though, still holding them tightly in his own and looking sadly down at the young woman.

"If you need it," she said quietly. "I've got the room. You know you're welcome at my place, right?"

Opie nodded dejectedly, a silent thanks. She smiled and stood, leaning forward and kissing the young man's forehead like he did with her before turning to leave the room. Opie watched her disappear through the door, cracking it behind her and she was gone.

As she walked out of the room and into the bar again, she was deep in thought, running her fingers through her hair. That was close, way too close and it couldn't happen again. He was hurt, that's all.

"You whoop his ass yet?"

Jax's voice forced her to look up to see the heavy but playful grin on his lips.

"Seriously considering it. Maybe with a bat." She offered with her own grin. They shared the laugh but it faded quickly. "He's still mourning, Jax. Even now."

"Yeah," he sighed. "I know. His head ain't been right since Donna."

"He loved her." She replied. "Would you be the same if Tara died?"

Jax felt a jolt of fear at the thought but understood where Alex was coming from. He shook his head, knowing he'd never be right again. For some reason, he hadn't thought about Opie and Donna like that before.

"I'd rather beat the fuck out of that skank."

Jax felt an idea forming in his head, something that both needed to be done and he was willing to do.

"You wanna help me out with something?"

Alex looked to him.

"How bout you give me a hand making sure she doesn't come around here again?"

A vindictive smile curled at both their lips and he knew then she was in. Without another word, the two set off for the set on Jax's bike.

It was disgustingly easy getting Ima to go into her room with him, to the point Jax wondered if the bitch ever said no to anyone. Probably not.

When she stepped into the room, Jax let her walk the rest of the way in before closing the door behind him. Ima was smiling as seductively as she could before noticing someone was standing beside the man. Alex had been behind the door, waiting for the bitch to walk in with her brother.

Ima opened her mouth to scream when Alex lunged for her. She grabbed her by the back of her head, entwining her hand in the slut's hair and slammed her face violently down onto the vanity. Something broke, no one noticed, when Ima fell back to the ground with blood dripping down her face.

Alex smiled proudly down at the work she'd done, Jax too before stepping over and crouching on top of the porn star. He grabbed hold of Ima tightly by the hair pointing an angry finger at her.

"If you ever flash that rancid pussy around my Club or family again, I'll kill you." He growled, holding her throat in the other hand before spitting in her face. "_Whore_."

The hatred in his voice was palpable. Alex kept her grin as he stood up and walked back out the door. Ima looked at her through glassy eyes, the blood still pouring down her face.

"Bye darlin'." Alex grinned wickedly before following after Jax. Honestly, she had to stop herself from skipping she was so happy.

Jax drove her back to the Club House, Alex getting into her car to head home after a congratulatory hug. Despite the nap, which evidently her sleep was, she was exhausted again. She wanted nothing more than to go home and sink into her bed, disappear and wither away into nothing while her dreams overtook her mind.

Careful what you wish for…


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: Violence. Abuse. Light torture. If it makes you queezy or uncomfortable (which it may or may not depending on how big a fan of the show you are) then you may just want to skim over this. To everyone else, EnjoyI and let me know what you think!**

Fruit for the Crows

(Ep.7)

It was almost six in the morning. Alex had finally drifted off to sleep about a half an hour ago, real sleep that wasn't that bullshit mini-slumber she had been doing. Maybe the nap was a bit more than she thought. Maybe she was just freaked out being in the house again. Either way, it took her far too long to fall asleep, and when she had, she hadn't stayed that way for long.

The hidden ceiling panel that led to her attic was askew; something the young woman never noticed when she changed her clothing to go to bed that morning. It was off, just enough she should have seen the black crack against the stark white ceiling.

Eyes watched as Alex threw on an oversized SAMCRO shirt, one of the many she had, and slipped into her bed. The morning sun was close to rising but it meant nothing to the darkness hiding in her attic. They waited, and waited, time ticking by. Patience was a virtue to him, the one thing he could afford. After all, when you finally have what you want, you need to enjoy it. So he waited, nearly an hour an a half before moving.

When her breathing had finally leveled out, the young woman taking a few of her pills beforehand, the panel shifted. It jumped for a moment, twitched and fidgeted before fingers gripped the sliver of a gap and pulled it open. Careful not to make noise, the intruder gripped the panel in his gloved hands and pulled it into the attic space completely, setting it aside and out of the way.

Legs protruded from the black gap, insulation falling from the denim jeans and landing on the carpeted closet floor a moment before the feet joined it. The thump from his landing went unnoticed by the drugged young woman in the bed, his cold eyes focused on her sleeping form. Still Alex remained motionless.

The intruder stood and made his way back into the house, wiping sweat from his forehead with the back of his long sleeve, sure to keep any trace from falling as he walked to her bed. His head cocked to the side as he stared down at the young woman on the mattress, no more than a few feet from him, and rage began to bubble once more. His face contorted into anger, hatred and his sick version of love saturated him.

Alex suddenly gasped when she realized something was keeping her from breathing. The sensation ripped her violently from her sleep, forcing her awake and to sit up. Weight pulled down on her as she forced her eyes open. It took her a moment to make it through the haze of sleep and medication but when she had, the fear was all encompassing.

Cold, steely grey eyes shined down at her on an angular and once attractive face. She knew the face, she knew the dark hair, the scar on his chin, and she knew the man hanging over her. Immediately Alex struggled to scream and fight but it did little good. His body pressed hers down into the mattress, his knees on either side of her hips to keep her from pushing him up and his massive hand over her mouth to stop her screaming.

Alex began to cry before she could stop herself, the sight of Emmett lingering over her in the real world, no longer a nightmare, was too much for her to take. She slammed her eyes shut, shaking and struggling to breathe and tried to be anywhere else than where she was.

"Awe, shhh." He chided softly. Alex barely managed to open her teary eyes. "No need to cry puppet. Daddy's here now."

His eyes turned black, she swore it, the moment he called her by that pathetically disgusting nickname he gave her years ago. His jaw tensed and to her shock he removed his hand from her mouth. Alex tried to scream in the split second she had, but she couldn't. Without warning, his other hand came down and made sharp contact with her face. Alex was dazed, but not out so with another blow, he finished the job.

Emmett glared down at the woman beneath him unconscious and lifeless. He knew what he was going to do and he planned to enjoy it, not willing to have any of those fucking bikers show up and interrupt his reunion with his wife.

~~!~~

Alex woke groggily, her body aching and stiff. She didn't know what time it was, only that it was dark. Her brows came together tightly, fear dripping from every muscle, every cell she possessed. Her mouth parted as she struggled to breathe, gasping for it through choking sobs.

She tried to move her body, anything only to find she couldn't. She was sitting upright, but nothing would move. It didn't take her long to realize she was strapped to a chair, her arms stuck to the armrests of the piece, her legs the same. It took her a moment to figure out what held her but with the feeling in her fingertips waning and what she had on hand, Alex realized quickly it was duct tape and thickly tied.

She began to cry harder; sure this time he would finish the job he'd started last year when he shot her. Alex's head dropped, whatever was blindfolding her holding tight. Her tears soaked into it which meant at least that wasn't tape, but knowing she was going to die didn't seem to make the fact she was wearing cloth around her eyes all the nicer.

Her sobs echoed back to her giving her another clue to where she might be. If she was still in her house she was likely in her garage. The thought wasn't ideal but better than nothing. Alex steadied her breath and her resolve before taking in a deep breath. The sound barely made it out of her mouth before something slammed into the side of her head again sending her forcefully into the cold concrete ground.

"I don't think so babe." Emmett told her darkly, moving to her side to lift her up.

Alex felt the sudden tug of gravity when she was brought right side up. She tasted the copper in her mouth and knew she was bleeding, how bad she wasn't sure, but he'd already drawn blood.

"Now what'd I tell you bout that shit? Huh?" he asked calmly at first. Alex couldn't answer, shaking like a leaf in her seat. "What'd I fucking tell you?!"

Emmett suddenly yelled and lunged for her to instill the fear she already felt. Alex could feel his breath on her face he was so close, stealing every ounce of air from her lungs.

"That…" she stammered, her throat thick with tears.

"Yes?" he asked sarcastically. "That what?"

"It's our business." She breathed.

"That's right." He chimed sweetly making her skin crawl. Without warning, a hand touched her cheek making her jump. But he didn't strike. Instead, Emmett held her swelling cheek gently in his hand. "Our business is our business. We don't need the neighbors getting involved."

"Yeah." She gasped, nodding her head vigorously. "I'm sorry."

"Awe, its okay." He replied, this time stroking her cheek with the back of his hands. "You've just been away for a long time. That's fine. It just means we need to retrain you."

"No," she snapped quickly, images surging through her brain from the last time. The belt marks on her back began to burn with the memories. "No, I remember. I remember how to act."

The air got colder for some reason and put her even more on edge than before. Seeing nothing made everything worse, everything scarier and that's what he wanted. He wanted her lost and she was.

"Then why'd you leave, hm?" he asked, again dangerously close.

Alex felt her body begin to shake again. She was trembling in her spot, afraid of what he might do.

"I…" she mumbled, the word barely making it out of her mouth.

"Why'd you make me shoot you babe, huh?" he asked.

Her brows pulled together tightly, her mouth closing as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"I didn't…"

"_Don't_," he interrupted, silencing her immediately when something cold touched her throat. Alex gasped again, fearing what the icy steel might truly be. "Lie to me Alex. You know it was your fault. Wasn't it?" she couldn't speak and his patience grew thinner by the millisecond. "Wasn't it?!"

"Yes." She gasped, fearing that he might press the blade a bit too hard into her neck. "And I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry baby. I'll make it up to you, I promise."

She felt him move back from her enough she could finally breathe but the knife never left her skin. Instead he let it drop to her shoulder without removing it completely.

"Oh yeah?" he asked. She could practically hear the disgusting smile on his lips. "And how's that?"

"Any way you want me to." She said, offering up everything she knew he wanted to hear, just like she had to when they were married. "But, I can't do anything tied to this chair."

She heard him growl and before she could speak again, something hit her in the gut. Alex cried out from the pain as Emmett retracted his fist from her stomach. She fought the urge to vomit, the pain coming from not only the ribs she knew he broke but the scars he'd left behind from their last time together.

Alex began to cry again, this time openly balling from what he'd done. He was worse now than before and given he had been on the run; she feared what might come next.

~~!~~

"Yeah?" Opie asked, answering his phone.

"_Hey man, you talk to Lyla yet?"_

"Yeah. Me and Bobby are about to leave. Why? You need something?"

"_Nobody can get a hold of Alex."_

"She's probably still sleeping." Opie scoffed with a laugh. "You want us to stop by there on the way out?"

"_Yeah man, that'd work. It's on the way right?"_

"Yeah."

"_Okay bro. Fill her in and meet up with Clay and the guys before you come out here."_

"You got it." He replied, snapping the phone shut and looking for Bobby. He spotted the man by a bruised Ima. It didn't take Opie long to realize where the busted nose had come from. "Yo."

Bobby turned around to notice Opie walking up behind him.

"Jax just called. We got to go."

Bobby nodded and with a final glance to Ima, left with Opie. The two men walked passed one porn set after another before exiting the building entirely.

"The hell happened to her face?" Opie finally asked as they got onto their respective bikes.

"She said ask Jax and Alex." Bobby grinned.

Opie chuckled and shook his head. Of course it was Alex.

"Jax wants us to stop by her place on the way back." He said, snapping on his helmet.

"Alex?"

"Yeah. She's not answering her phone."

"Sure man." Bobby nodded, knowing already how protective the young men were of the young woman.

It was a tense time and they wanted to make sure everyone was accounted for anyway and given her recent past, Bobby knew the young men were probably just a bit tenser than before and he was more than willing to help them out. Besides, when someone openly begins to shoot up the President of the Mayans outside his drug house, there was no telling what they might do to anyone else associated with the MCs.

~~!~~

Alex fought another cry, spitting some of the spilled blood from her mouth and struggling to keep from crying even harder. It was difficult. That seemed to anger Emmett more. He yelled at her to stop blubbering like a baby but then said she didn't love him if she wasn't crying. The man was insane.

The sound of rumbling in the distance forced any tears to stop falling almost immediately. Alex held her breath, praying internally the bikes would come closer and it wasn't some passing group. Emmett seemed to hear them about the same time as the young woman and knew what it meant. He turned his rage back to the young woman.

"Those biker faggots coming to save you?" he bellowed, backhanding her again.

Alex cried out this time, loudly to ensure whoever was coming could hear her. Her own voice echoed back at her and nothing else when cold metal touched her throat again. She felt the heat from Emmett's breathing in her ear and went rigid.

"Scream again and I'll slit your fucking throat." He growled.

Everything went silent. The bikes had pulled close and stopped somewhere outside her garage door. She heard them cut off and people approach, but she couldn't tell who. Emmett kept the knife firmly against the right side of her throat, the young woman more than capable of feeling him standing on the same side. She was moaning sadly again, the desperation for a rescue looming overhead and struggling to keep from screaming.

There was a heavy handed knock and the door and then a pause. She bit her busted lip, whimpering with the need to call out. The knock came again, three heavy pounds, louder than before.

"_Alex_!" a familiar voice called. "_Wake_ _up_!"

This time she gasped and began to tremble again. Emmett noticed and used his free hand to cover her mouth.

"Keep fucking quiet." He told her sternly.

The knocking continued.

"_You sure she's home?"_ another voice asked.

"_Car's here."_ Opie replied.

Alex began to sob again. Her salvation was so close. They were right there, not twenty feet away and she couldn't do anything. She felt Emmett's fingertips bite into her cheek as he tightened his grip on her face. Slamming her eyes shut, Alex began to think feverishly about what to do. She had to get out of here, out of her garage and away from Emmett before Opie and Bobby left. If they did, she'd die by sun down and she knew it.

As scenario after scenario rushed through her brain, one thing seemed to be a recurring thought. Slowly, Alex calmed herself as much as she could, hoping it would work in the end. Even if she didn't live, they'd get this mother fucker and kill him, ensuring he'd never hurt anyone else ever again. That was her consolation prize, Emmett hanging dead and buried in a grave in the middle of nowhere.

She clenched her eyes tighter than before and steeled her reserve before taking one deep breath. Without warning, Alex threw her body away from Emmett, knowing she wasn't restrained to the ground, only to the chair. He hadn't been expecting the action and was unable to catch her before she slammed into the garage floor.

The chair hit with a loud thwack. There was no way she wasn't heard, but to make sure, Alex cried out.

"Opie!" she screamed loudly, as loud as she could. "In here!"

"_Alex?!" _Opie called back surprised, his voice muffled through the aluminum door.

Emmett fumbled to grab Alex again, to shut her up and keep her from saying anything else.

"It's Em…"

She couldn't even get out the man's name before he had her again, fighting to get her to shut up. Banging on the garage door made the man inside realize they had been found out. He roared his anger and frustration, trying his hardest to keep her from pushing against him.

On the outside of the garage, Bobby and Opie struggled as much as they could to get the damn thing open, hearing the scuffle coming from within. Bobby watched as Opie put one fist sized dent into the door after another before noticing the lock holding the door shut. He reached for his gun and shot it open quickly; snatching the lock out of the slot and helping Opie throw it open.

The sight they found wasn't something they were expecting, enough to nearly make them forget someone was running out of the garage and into the house. Bobby, again thinking clearer than Opie, barked orders.

"Get the fucker!" he yelled, the two rushing into the garage. "I've got her."

Opie didn't hesitate and raced into the house after Emmett while Bobby knelt down beside the profusely bleeding Alex.

She was lying on her side panting for air. Her lips, chin, cheek and nose was bloody, a black blindfold over her eyes. He snatched it back and let her see a friendly face. Alex forced a weak smile, but her strength was fading and Bobby could see why.

There was a gash in her right thigh about the size of a blade. It looked like Emmett had wildly slashed at the young woman for no reason though now he wondered if it hadn't happened when Alex fell. It wouldn't shock the aged biker that Emmett had swung carelessly at her as she fell, swiping at any bit of flesh he could get. To make matters worse, the evidence of her being stabbed was embedded in her shoulder. Emmett had stabbed her one final time in a weak attempt to shut her up and left the knife wedged deeply into her shoulder before rushing off.

Bobby tried to ignore the pool of blood forming beneath her and thankfully had the wherewithal to leave the blade behind. He'd seen enough shit like this to know he might be doing more damage than good pulling it out, despite how hard it was to see.

Ruckus in the background fell on deaf ears as Bobby pulled his own knife out and began to cut the young woman free from the chair. When her limbs were finally free, Alex fell onto the concrete floor again though her eyes were barely managing to stay open.

Opie had raced after the husband, bounding through the house to try and find the man. There weren't many places for him to go, but Opie hated to admit he was lost. Emmett had vanished somewhere.

Cautiously taking out his gun, Opie began to pace through the house, glancing in one room after another. Alex's house was still locked up tight from the inside and nothing had been moved, so that son of a bitch was somewhere.

Slowly, Opie walked into Alex's bedroom. There was nothing out of place. He glanced into her bathroom and then briefly into her closet and still there was nothing. He turned his back to leave; unaware Emmett was hiding within her clothing. He crept carefully out of the hanging clothing and towards the large man with the gun. Opie didn't realize anyone was behind him until something slammed into his back.

Opie lurched forward and fell to his knees from the force. He turned in time to see Emmett swing for him but ducked and moved enough to the side. Emmett's wild swing missed, slamming his fist into the doorjamb instead. As he held his fist and cried out in pain, Opie lunged for him, smashing the butt of his gun into the man's nose. Emmett fell back into the bedroom, howling in pain. Opie didn't hesitate to leap on top of him and begin throwing one punch after another.

"You mother fucker!" he roared, throwing punch after punch. "You ever fucking touch her again…"

Coherent thoughts weren't high on his list at the moment. All he knew was he finally had the man that had hurt Alex under him, and he wasn't going to waste it.

Soon enough Emmett stopped moving. Opie was content to keep hitting when Bobby called for him saying Alex needed help. That snapped him out of his blackout rage enough to keep him from killing the man on Alex's bedroom floor.

Breathing heavily, Opie stood. He loomed over the bleeding mass on the carpeted floor, unmoving, barely breathing. His glower deepened as he spat on the figure and walked back into the garage. His glare immediately shifted to worry at the sight of Bobby wrapping the young woman's body in a blanket he'd grabbed from the top of the washer in the far left corner of the garage.

"Is she…"

Opie couldn't even force the words as Bobby wrapped Alex tightly, the knife still sticking out of her shoulder. She was barely strong enough to open her eyes, but the brief flash of green was enough for Opie's body to let him breathe again.

"Grab her." Bobby said. "We need to get her back to the Club House. Doc'll fix her up."

Opie moved to her side and knelt down, gently picking the woman up in his arms and looking down at her sadly as she curled into his massive chest, trying to hide her face from him. She didn't know exactly what was happening, her mind unable to concentrate, but she knew she didn't want them to see her like this.

"Where's that prick?" Bobby growled, noticing the man's bloody knuckles.

"Alive." Opie growled.

"Not for long." Bobby said, checking his weapon for ammunition. A full clip wouldn't be enough in his mind.

"No." Alex gurgled quietly.

Bobby and Opie both shot her questioning look.

"He tried to kill you." Bobby told her.

"I want…" she began, barely able to form words she was becoming so weak. "I want to…"

Opie looked to Bobby.

"Tie him up somewhere. We'll get him later." He said.

Bobby nodded reluctantly but if Alex wanted a piece of the guy, he wasn't going to deny her it. Not after what he'd done to her.

Without another word, Bobby went to deal with Emmett while Opie took Alex to her car and got ready to drive her back to the Club House.


	15. Chapter 15

Fruit for the Crows

pt 2

Opie drove as fast as he could without arising suspicion. He didn't need to be pulled over when there was a woman bleeding, possibly to death, in the backseat with a hunting knife dug into her right shoulder.

Alex had remained silent for the most part, crying out when he had hit one or two potholes and speed bumps, jostling her. He muttered his frantic apologies and tried to reassure her as much as he could. Thankfully, he was close.

When he reached the locked gate, Opie didn't hesitate to lay on the horn, sticking his head out the window and telling them to open the god damn thing before he got pissed. The Prospects guarding it did as the senior member barked without hesitation but it wasn't fast enough for him. The moment it was clear, Opie stepped on the gas until it hit the floor, tires screaming and smoking as he launched himself into the yard.

The gate was closed behind him, the people inside coming out to see what the commotion was though he paid none of them the slightest bit of attention. Opie didn't even bother parking in a spot, instead slamming on the brakes in the middle of the parking lot. Alex cried out again and whimpered when she hit the back of his seat from the force. At this point, with as quiet as she was becoming, he almost welcomed the sound.

"The fuck do you think you're doing?" Clay bellowed. "And where's Bobby?"

"At her place." Opie answered, dipping into the car and pulling out a body wrapped in a sheet.

"Fuck." Juice breathed, seeing the blood that had soaked through.

"The fuck's Tara?" Opie asked loudly, not waiting for the answer as he walked into the Club House with everyone else following. "Doc!" she didn't answer immediately. "Doc!" he yelled louder this time.

"Jesus Christ Opie," she sighed, stepping out of the Chapel with bloody gloves. "What the hell are you…" she stopped abruptly when she saw the body in his arms, Alex struggling not to cry out every time her arm moved and jostled the blade. "Oh my god."

"Fix her."

It wasn't a request. It wasn't a desperate plea. It was an angry demand. Tara met Opie's determined eyes and saw how terrified he really was.

"I don't know where…" she said, looking around to see if there was anywhere to put her. "The bar. Put her on the bar."

Opie did as she asked, moving quickly to the slick, lacquered surface and set Alex down. She gasped at the pain, but did little else. Her lack of response scared him more than he would openly admit.

"Alex," he said softly, cradling her cheeks. "Alex baby, look at me."

She struggled to do much of anything, her eyes fluttering but unable to remain open for long. She was still breathing, her mouth parted as she gasped for every breath.

The rest of the group had begun to congregate around the scene, a bit more stunned to see one of their own beaten and bloodied. Gemma still held her hands over her mouth, horrified, while the men seemed to have more rage filling them.

"The fuck happened?" Clay asked through clenched teeth.

"Her old man." Opie replied, still staring down at the young woman lying motionless on the bar top.

"Where is he?"

"Bobby tied him up." Opie said, still not meeting their enraged faces. "He's at her place."

"Good. We'll deal with this fucker once and for…"

"No." Opie interjected. He finally looked to his President. "She said she wants to do it. Alex's wants to kill him so he's got to stay alive."

Clay didn't seem happy about it but slowly began to nod, chewing on his lips despite the rage surging through him.

"Fine. We keep the prick alive. _For now."_

Opie nodded. It was the best he could do, relaying her message, but there was no guarantee Bobby hadn't already slaughtered the man or the giant's assault hadn't killed him first.

"Okay," Tara sighed, stepping forward with a new pair of latex gloves. She hesitated, suddenly confronted again with the sight of the familiar hurt. It was a bit worse now, seeing Alex beaten so badly, blood touching almost every bit of skin and an actual weapon protruding from her, but it wasn't uncommon at work. She had to think about that. She was back at work. "Okay," her voice was stronger. "I'm going to need to cut this away." She said, motioning to her shirt before noticing people were surrounding her. "Can we have some privacy please?"

"You heard the doc." Clay called. "Everybody out!"

Without question, people began to migrate out. Opie was the most reluctant, wanting to stay behind and Tara seemed to notice that.

"Come on Ope. We need to meet Jax."

"Can he stay?" Tara asked quickly surprising them both. "I could use his help for a minute. It won't take long. Maybe ten minutes."

Clay glanced to the woman on the bar and reluctantly nodded.

"Yeah. But only ten. After that, we've got to go."

She nodded and weakly smiled her thanks as Gemma looped her arm around her husband and exit the Club House. No one remained save Alvarez in the other room on the SAMCRO table, Opie and Tara.

Tara went to work quickly after pushing a box of latex gloves towards Opie. He snapped them on without hesitation, neither noticing his massive hands were nearly breaking the rubber fingers while Tara cut the fabric away from Alex's shoulder. She tried to keep it decent, realizing quickly the young woman wasn't wearing a bra, but still needed a sizable amount of space to work.

"Okay," she said, looking to the young man who barely managed to tear his eyes from Alex. "I'm going to pull out the knife and see if the knicked an artery of hit anything else. When I do, I need you to hold her shoulders down. Okay?"

Neither was sure exactly what had happened for a hunting knife to find its way embedded into the woman's skin, but it looked fevered. When Emmett stabbed her it had been a final act before rushing off to save his own skin. He'd jabbed it down into the young woman lying on her side when Opie and Bobby threw the garage door open and in the frantic gesture, there was no telling the damage done.

Opie nodded heavily, positioning himself over Alex while Tara moved to the other side of the bar. She stood opposite Opie and found herself climbing onto the icemaker to remain high enough. She took one deep breath and then another before meeting Opie's heavy eyes.

"One," she began. "Two, three!"

On three, Opie tensed his grip and Tara yanked. The blade struggled for a moment, a sign it had imbedded in the bone, but came out soon enough with a disgusting pop. Blood began to pour anew from the wound on her shoulder and with practiced hands, Tara managed to seamlessly press gauze to stem the flow as she tossed the knife into the bar sink. With it gone and the surprising lack of response, the young doctor leaned over the young woman to better see her face.

"Alex, can you hear me?" Tara asked, scooting her bag a little closer to herself.

She didn't respond. Tara looked nervously to her and patted her cheeks.

"Alex," she snapped sharply.

"Hmm." Was the best response she got.

"Jesus," she sighed, removing the gauze to check and see how bad the bleeding was. "How long ago was she stabbed?"

"Bout ten, fifteen minutes ago maybe." Opie answered shortly, not from anger at Tara, only frustration.

"This much blood loss means there might be a nicked artery." She answered gravely.

Tara sliced enough of the young woman's shirt back to see the stab wound's track, but it was narrow like the blade. She poked at it a bit causing Alex to grimace, groan and suck in sharp breaths each time. The longer she examined the injury, the more Tara was certain an artery had been hit.

"Fuck." Opie moaned, turning his back to the sight. He could stand seeing Tara poke and prod at the young woman, even less so when the blood just kept seeping out of her shoulder.

"I'm going to need you to hold her head steady in case she wakes up." She said, taking a syringe of something clear and injecting it near the wound.

Opie watched her curiously for a moment before adjusting himself over Alex again; gently cupping the right side of her head in his hand and the other holding her left shoulder down so Tara could work on the right where she was hurt. He pressed his forehead to hers as he thought about everything, about the chances of losing her after he had lost everyone else. He couldn't do it and the thought alone was making his eyes burn. He muttered his words to her, Tara unable to hear them as he prayed she'd pull through. Tara noticed the action and felt her brow pull together at the sight.

But that was just the tip of the iceberg. She had been right. The blade nicked an artery. Tara was incredibly grateful and relieved that it didn't severe it and managed to actually hit the utmost tip of the artery so the blood flow wasn't strong, just constant. If she could seal it then Alex would make it out okay. The bad part, a cut that small on the end of an artery had to be cauterized. There was no way to sew it shut. As far as luck went, no matter how this happened to her, there was a fucking angel watching over Alex.

"Damn it." Tara sighed, pressing the gauze tightly to the woman's shoulder.

Opie's head snapped up.

"What? What's happening?" he asked frantic.

"Hold this here." She instructed.

He did as she asked and held the gauze down firmly as Tara stepped away. He wanted to ask what she was doing when she started to search through different drawers looking for something. His brow pulled together when she pulled out a small flashlight, one that you would keep in a junk drawer and was no bigger than a couple inches long.

Tara came back and went to her bag, digging through it before pulling out a suture needle. She unwrapped the sterile metal and turned to Opie.

"I need your lighter."

She replaced his hand with hers as he reached for his Zippo in his pocket and handed it to her, still confused. Tara motioned for him to take over and he did, holding pressure to the wound as she turned on the light and set it on the didn't know what was happening, not really, and the ever present confusion seemed to get worse, threatening on swallowing him whole when Tara reached into her bag for something else.

Tara retrieved a pair of silver something or others, retractors, and set them down for a moment. Her mind had shifted into Doctor Mode, something she'd grown accustomed to through the years. It meant she was prepared and ready for what she had to do next, but Opie wasn't. If she wasn't so worried about Alex, she may have warned the young man, but she didn't.

"Fuck..." Opie choked as Tara dug the ends of the silver retractors into Alex's shoulder.

He buried his face in the crook of his elbow and tried to force the image of Tara prying open Alex's wound and snapping the retractors into position out of his mind. He couldn't. Of all the things he'd seen in his life, that was the one that might stick with him for a while.

Again Tara was ignorant to the man losing a shade or two of color as she adjusted a towel beneath Alex. The wound poured anew, the blood gradually making its way down her chest and shoulder now that her skin didn't stop it. But Tara needed an uninhibited view for what she was about to do.  
Without speaking and still moving quickly, Tar struck the lighter and set it down on the bar beside her. Opie's brow pulled together tighter than before as she ran the flame along the end of the needle.

"Okay," she finally said, watching the needle slowly turn red. "When I say, I need you to hold that light over the stab wound for me while I cauterize the artery."

"Are you serious? How the hell am I supposed to do that?"

"You'll have to let go of her head." She said simply, the metal needle turning brilliant red. "Okay, ready?"

Opie reluctantly let go of Alex's head, letting it fall gently to the side before grabbing the flashlight in his spare hand. Tara adjusted Opie's hand before taking a deep breath.

"Ready?"

He didn't respond but nodded. Of course he wasn't ready. That was a stupid fucking question, but he had no choice in the matter either.

"Now."

Opie snatched back his hand with the gauze and held the flashlight steady as Tara pressed the needle to the end of the bleeding wound. It sizzled and popped, steaming slightly like she had plunged it into water. Then again, blood is mostly water in the first place.

Almost instantly, Alex woke up and screamed from the pain. Tara retracted her hand when the task was done but Alex felt it, she felt all of it and it hurt worse than anything she had felt in a long time. She tried to move, Tara holding down her shoulders before Opie did the same.

"Alex," he said quickly. "Alex, its okay."

She slammed her eyes shut, tears already streaming down the sides of her face and to the table below. She bit down on her lip hard and broke it open again. The wound bled profusely as she struggled to breathe.

"Alex calm down." Tara told her.

"What the fuck was that?" she panted, her chest still heaving as she pried open teary eyes.

Opie looked sadly down at her, her brow furrowing so much it looked painful. She was shaking from the intense ache, wanting desperately to move her whole body but somehow knowing it wouldn't be smart.

"I cauterized an artery." Tara continued. "Just breathe."

"Easier said then done." She growled.

"It's okay," Opie said in a warm voice though his face was anything but calm. "I got you."

Tara looked up as she pressed a fresh gauze pad to Alex's bleeding wound. Opie was cradling her face in his massive hands, pressing his forehead to hers. He seemed to breathe easier now but Alex was in pain and Tara understood completely. It wasn't like Alex had been put under, she'd only passed out. Alex closed her eyes as her other hand came up and held the back of Opie's head to hers. She was still shaking slightly but obviously trying to breathe.

Tara still held the gauze as Alex took in one deep breath after another, in through her nose and out her mouth. If the doctor didn't know any better, it was like Alex had been through something like this before. Slowly but surely, she calmed enough to open her eyes. Opie pulled back slightly and looked down at her. He wiped the tears from the side of her head with his thumbs and forced a smile. She did the same.

"Opie,"

He looked up at the Doc.

"I need you to hold the flashlight. I have to check and see if I got it."

He nodded and reached for the light, holding it where Tara had instructed last time. Slowly, Tara removed the gauze and looked into the wound. From what she could tell, she had gotten most if not all of it but she wasn't sure. The only thing she could think to do was repeat the action, something she knew wasn't going to be the popular choice.

"Alex."

The young woman rolled her head enough to look at Tara's sad face. Alex closed her eyes again in anguish as though she was reading the other woman's mind. Slowly, her head rolled back so she was staring at the ceiling again.

"Just do it." She replied.

Tara nodded and reached for the lighter again. Opie looked away, knowing what was about to happen. Just like before, Tara heated the metal until it was red hot, and like before Opie held the light in place.

"Take a deep breath."

Alex nodded and did as the doc had said before Tara moved in. It was the exact same as before, the sizzle, the pop and the steam, but something was different. This time, there was no hesitation to the scream. Alex cried out loudly, her voice filled with pure agony as it echoed around them. Opie slammed his eyes shut at the sound as a new wave of tears flowed from Alex's eyes in the few seconds Tara held the needle to the artery.

Within seconds it was over and again Alex shook from the intense pain involved. Her breathing was wavered, unsteady. Opie all but dropped the light and moved back to holding her face as reassuringly as he could. Tara had to admit she was amazed that Alex didn't lash out this time and try to move.

"I got it."

She felt the need to tell them and she was right to. For some reason, that little bit of information made the other two non-doctors breathe easier than before.

"I'm going to disinfect it then sew it up okay?" Tara relayed, already having dislodged the retractors and allowing the wound to clsoe as well as it could on its own.

Alex nodded, knowing speech wasn't the easiest thing for her to manage at the moment. Her head spun from the blood loss and shock of the burning needle and she was getting tired. She tried to just focus on breathing, even if it was shaky.

"What about her leg?"

Tara looked up through her lashes with a blank expression. He didn't speak, instead using a free hand to pull the sheet back from the lower half of her body. Like he said, there was a gash in her thigh about four inches long from where Emmett had slashed at her frantically when she threw herself to the ground.

With a nod, Tara steeled herself for having to give the woman more stitches and went back to her task. One injury at a time.

Opie stood beside Alex, lightly rubbing her temples with his thumbs as he held her head still. He was trying to sooth her as much as he could given the hell she had yet to go through. Alex's eyes were still clenched shut tightly. She was taking in one long shaking breath after another before releasing them when Tara came up with some kind of saline solution to flush out the wound.

"This won't hurt as bad but it might sting." She said honestly.

Alex nodded but concentrated on her breathing.

"Ope, I'll need your help."

"Sure." He replied in a hoarse voice, doing whatever it was she needed him to.

Alex had gone relatively numb at the moment, the sensation of the solution barely registering with her as Tara sprayed it into the wound and Opie held towels under it to keep the reddish water from going everywhere. In a few moments, when everything was sufficiently flushed, Tara reached for her supplies she'd need to suture the wound. Opie returned to his seat.

"Now, this is gonna hurt."

"Can't you give her a local or something?" Opie asked angrily.

"I already have. If she's feeling all this, then it didn't work. I can't give her more."

Alex was still breathing heavily before looking up at the ceiling.

"I've spent my fair time in a hospital. I guess I got immune to it or something."

Opie sighed at the thought, already having seen what she was referencing while Tara tried to ignore the statement. It wasn't a good thing, becoming immune to anesthetic. She didn't want to press and went about getting everything ready.

When Alex felt her hands touch the area, she knew she was close. The young woman slammed her eyes shut again and all but stopped breathing as Tara started to sew the half dozen stitches into Alex's shoulder.

Tara worked as quickly as she could just so Alex wouldn't go into shock with everything that was going on. She didn't want Alex to get worse before she got better. Soon enough, she was done and with a new piece of gauze, began to tape it down.

"You done?" he asked Tara.

"Yeah," she said, putting the last bit of tape on the bandage. "I'm done."

Opie nodded and shifted the sheet again out of the way, peeling it off the skin and feeling his stomach turn at the sight.

Tara moved around to the other side of the bar and stood beside Opie, staring at the wound and judging whether or not it would need threading. Thankfully, only a bit of it was deep. True she could put stitches in it, but shock was still a possibility. If anything, Tara wanted to give Alex a night of rest before she had to do anything else.

So instead of thread and a needle, Tara elected instead to use a few butterfly Band-Aids and strapped them over the already healing injury. She was glad to see the wound had stopped bleeding for the most part, only doing so when she cleaned and taped it up.

"Is that everything?"

"Yeah," he sighed before glancing to her face.

"I can take care of that." Tara said, noticing his apprehension when he saw the cuts on her face. Opie slowly looked to the doctor. "Go. You need to be with Jax and the others."

"Okay," he said. "You sure?"

He didn't want to leave, but he was more than content to go and help Jax just so he could come back and fuck up Emmett more.

Tara nodded to him, forcing a smile as he propped his hands on the bar beside Alex, looking down at her. She turned to stare up at the man through heavy, dazed lids.

"You feeling better?"

She cocked a skeptical brow to the man.

"Fine. Stupid question."

"Yeah," she smiled, her voice as weak as she looked. "Little bit."

Opie's hand came forward and gently brushed a piece of hair behind her ear where it had stuck to the thin layer of sweat on her forehead. The tenderness of the situation wasn't a shock to Tara, knowing how close the three kids of the original Sons were, but there was something else lingering beneath the actions. It was brought to the foreground quickly.

The large man leaned down and rested his forehead against Alex's again. Their eyes closed as his right hand gently held her face, his thumb stroking her cheek.

"Love you Alex."

A smile tugged at the corner of her lips for a brief moment. This time it was more genuine than before. Opie saved her life. He was there, her knight in shining armor and slayed the evil that tried to kill her. If she could move without busting something open, she'd hug him and never let go.

"I love you too Opie." She answered.

He was relieved now, able to breathe without the knot in his throat. Alex was awake, slightly coherent and alive. She was alive. That was the most important thing and something he'd never assumed he'd have to worry about with her home. He honestly never thought Emmett was that fucking stupid, but he was wrong.

The joy of having the young woman there, safe and sound and the bastard in their grasp made Opie decide to do something he knew he probably shouldn't have. He couldn't stop himself. The urge had been lingering just beneath the surface for years and if there was ever a time to try it was now. Without hesitation, Opie moved forward the few inches and kissed her on the lips.

Tara's eyes went a little wide at the blatant display of affection, her actions hesitating. It was like Opie forgot she was there watching him because this definitely wasn't a 'sibling' kind of kiss. Still in his own world of relief and gratitude, Opie placed one or two light kisses on her lips before pulling back and doing the same to her forehead.

Finally he stood completely and looked to Tara. She managed to smile as best she could, trying to make it seem like she hadn't just watched a very intimate display. Opie cleared his throat and reached for his lighter, tossing it back into his pocket.

"Thanks Doc."

"Of course." She replied with a weak smile.

Opie looked down to Alex. He lightly touched the side of her cheek.

"I'll come see you later okay?"

She smiled weakly.

"Okay."

He did his best to smile back before turning to leave. Opie stormed out of the Club House, meeting the others with a determined gaze and set off with them without hesitation. He wanted to get this over with so he could come back home to Alex.


	16. Chapter 16

**Oh how you guys rock. I love you all. Comments make the world go round! Hahaha. Enjoy!**

Fruit of the Crows

Pt.3

Tara went about cleaning her things up, her supplies and so forth. Alex winced and groaned as she sat up, her head spinning instantly. Tara rushed to her side to keep her from falling off the bar's top, knowing the four foot drop would not only hurt, but cause way more problems than either woman needed.

"Take it easy Alex." She said warningly. "You lost a lot of blood."

"I'm fine." She mumbled. "Let me help you clean this up or something."

"Just rest. I've got it."

"No," she replied stubbornly, sliding off the bar and stumbling when she did. She barely caught herself on her hands, her knees firmly hitting the concrete ground, unable to hold her weight. "I can help."

Tara rolled her eyes.

"I forgot how stubborn you are."

"Most people do." She laughed weakly.

Alex moved slowly, very slowly, but it didn't take long before the lack of blood made itself more prominent. In fact, Alex had been standing all of three minutes before the edge of her sight began to turn black. She knew she was about to pass out and from the pale, gaunt look on her face, so did Tara.

"Come on," she said softly, walking to Alex's side and looping her good arm over her shoulder. "We should get you cleaned up."

Alex nodded and walked with Tara into the bathroom to wash off the blood. Tara helped her more than Alex would likely ever admit. She didn't even want to admit how hard it was for her to focus, everything throbbing from her head to her chest to her leg. Everything hurt for good reason. Her salvation came soon though when Tara ushered her into the public bathroom, twenty five feet closer than the one in the dorm and set her on the toilet.

Tara grabbed a washcloth and put it in the sink with the faucet on cold. She wrung it out, let it soak again and repeated until she was convinced the water was cold enough. She wrung the cloth out a final time and turned to Alex.

"I'm going to have to take your shirt off." Tara told her. It wasn't a request, it was a fact. There was too much blood adorning the young woman's skin from everything and Tara wasn't going to let Alex sit around in it.

Alex nodded, looking at the top that was stained with blood and nearly cut off the right side of her body in the first place.

"Just rip it off if you can." She said, letting her head fall back. "But I need something."

The young woman nodded and left the bathroom. Alex found herself leaning back against the cold porcelain tank, her head falling to rest gently on top of it. Her eyes began to close and she knew she was nearing sleep when Tara came into the room again. Alex forced herself to look up, Tara tossing a towel and fresh SAMCRO Sons shirt on the sink's edge, a pair of scissors in her other hand.

Neither Tara nor Alex was embarrassed about it. They were both women and even though Alex wasn't wearing a bra, she was far beyond caring. If Alex couldn't keep her head from bobbing and swaying under its own weight, Tara seeing her topless didn't even register. Besides, Alex kind of liked her boobs. She thought they were awesome and Tara was a doctor anyway, having seen worse things in her life than a half naked young woman. Granted this was a friend, but Tara was an adult.

Tara let the garment fall from Alex's shoulder and gather around her waist before cutting it from her completely. Alex found herself leaning against the wall so Tara could do whatever she needed, having no strength to sit upright anymore. The doctor was silently grateful, concentrating on the blood she had to remove and not the woman sitting in her panties covered in it. It was harder though, admittedly, when Tara noticed fist sized bruising forming across Alex's stomach and side near the scar.

"Jesus," she gasped at the sight.

Alex barely managed to roll her head towards the woman rinsing off the bloody rag. When Tara returned and knelt by her side again, returning to the blood and trying her best to avoid the purple-ing flesh she found the courage to ask.

"Did he do these too?"

"What can I say? Emmet's got a temper." Alex replied in a soft voice.

Tara left it at that, going about removing as much blood as she could so she could wrap the towel around Alex enough to cover her decency. The two sat in silence for a while, Alex's shoulder more becoming a throb than the same intense pain as before so it didn't bother her nearly as much. Her whole body seemed to go numb the longer she sat there, slipping in and out of consciousness while Tara fought the urge to speak out about the obvious bullet wounds marring Alex's chest too.

Soon enough, Tara was done with the front but needed to clean the top of her shoulder and the back where a few traces of blood had fallen. It was fast enough and done quickly, and gave her the chance to move to Alex's arm. Evidently, that had been the side she'd been leaning on, the blood pooling beneath her.

Her movements turned more tender than before. Like with her shoulder and so forth, Tara found herself coming up to another painful and sore area and had to handle with care. She'd seen Alex bite back groans and pain whenever she stretched her left side too far and knew the scar pulled. There was no way something that large wouldn't, but now she was able to see it in its entirety.

The surgeon who worked on her did a good job, she could see that, but the scar was an impressive side. Tara found the medical procedure beginning to course through her mind, step after step like she knew it was preformed as she continued to clean the area just to keep her mind busy. There was a decent amount of blood remaining on her left side, all of it moving across her body from the stab wound when gravity took over, but Tara was an expert and worked quickly.

"Come on," Tara said, standing and helping a still dizzy Alex to her feet. "I should get your leg too."

"No," she sighed, shaking her head though it did little more than roll from side to side against the wall. "I just want to sleep."

Tara fought the urge to thank god out loud and just went about helping Alex. She took the SONS shirt and rolled it up in her hands, grateful she had experience doing this now when she clothed her boys. Alex heavily gave her the limbs Tara needed, but was having more trouble focusing than before. With the final task finish, Tara helped Alex stand again. Like before, she put the young woman's good arm over her shoulder and began to walk through the door. Movement caught her eyes in the bar.

"Gemma," Tara called.

The matriarch was scowling at the blood, looking mournfully at the mess when Tara called her name. She seemed a bit relieved to see Alex standing but the damage was severe and as hard to ignore as what she left in her wake.

"Jesus." She breathed.

Alex couldn't force herself to look up at her mother. In fact, she hadn't heard Gemma in the first place. There was nothing meeting the woman's ears save the faint buzzing of the blood rushing away from her head.

Gemma on the other hand took in everything. Alex was standing, limply supported by Tara. Faced with the right half of the young woman's body, Gemma was able to see an impressive amount of damage but not the worst. Instead she could see the blood on Alex's face, the bruising and ratted hair where blood had already dried. She could see Alex favoring her left leg, the toes of her right foot barely touching the cold, concrete ground to keep as much pressure from the injury under the white gauze that stood out in stark contrast to the dried blood smeared and trailing down her leg. It was disheartening to see.

"Can you grab my bag for me please?" Tara asked through strained breath.

Gemma nodded and swooped in, threading her arm through the bag's straps and walking off after the two. She made it to the hallway before Tara even stepped through the door with Alex on her arm. Gemma slowed her pace and followed them in, setting the bag down to help Tara put Alex in the bed Opie slept in the night before. It was still messed and part of Gemma wondered if Alex was going to get blood on the sheets until she realized it truly didn't matter. Alex's health mattered.

With her help, Tara managed to get Alex onto her back on the bed, the best angle for her to rest and went to her bag. She searched for the medication she kept with her, an all around antibiotic and a tranquilizer. She kept the generic brand on her at all times, never knowing when something like this might happen.

Hearing the pill bottles, Gemma moved into the bathroom and filled a glass with water. When she emerged, Tara already had a small cluster of white pills in her palm and was sitting beside Alex on the bed. Gemma gave her the water without needing to be told.

"Alex?" Tara said softly.

The young woman groaned a sound that might have been a question. Tara took it as understanding.

"I need you to take this medicine before you fall asleep."

"Wha' izit?" Alex mumbled drearily.

"Some antibiotics and pain killers. They'll help you sleep."

Alex strained to open her eyes, her right eye already swelling a bit and turning purple with a bruise. Tara tried to ignore it and the cut in her bottom lip as Alex sat up. It hurt everything when she did, her face betraying the pain she felt radiate through her, but she took the pills and popped them all into her mouth at the same time. The water, however, Tara didn't trust to give her alone. So aiding her, the young woman held Alex's chin gingerly in her other palm and helped her drink a few gulps of water to take down the medicine.

"There you go." She said kindly, taking the water away and setting it on the bedside table.

"You rest, okay baby?" Gemma said softly, leaning over Tara enough to gently touch Alex's hand. "We'll take care of that bastard for you."

"I want a piece of him." Alex told her as sternly as she could. "I want to do it, not them."

"Okay baby. I'll make sure the boys don't kill him."

She said the phrase so lightheartedly it was a little disarming to Tara. The doctor pushed the feeling down as Gemma turned to leave, letting Tara make sure Alex was alright before giving her time to rest.

"So, you and Opie?" Tara asked, ensuring the bandages were secured and wouldn't come off while she slept.

Alex's brow came together in slight confusion, her head tilting to the side. Tara was curious about the pair, but also wanted to test how coherent Alex was. How better than to ask something entirely random?

"What do you mean?"

Tara cocked a skeptical brow to the young woman.

"Really? Did you see the way he was talking to you? He kissed you for Christ's sake." She smiled, lightening the mood and hopefully getting Alex to forget how close she came to dying.

"Did he?"

Tara raised a brow to the young woman. Perhaps it wasn't as surprising that Alex didn't remember Opie kissing her. She'd gone through a bit of trauma and wasn't thinking clearly, but Opie had to know exactly what he was doing.

"Maybe he wasn't thinking right." Alex finally suggested.

"Uh-huh." Tara teased. "I'm pretty sure he was thinking just fine."

Alex tried to shrug but it looked more like a twitch, her eyes falling shut a while ago during their conversation. When she didn't rebut however, Tara knew she had fallen into her slumber and left her be, gathering her bag and pills to leave.

~~~~~!~~~~~

Alex was asleep on the bed in the apartment. Sleeping was about all she could do, the only way she wouldn't do anything stupid and Tara knew that. Tara was open about giving her painkillers which was probably why the young woman took the pills so willingly in the end. It wasn't that she didn't trust the doctor; it was that she had taken pills before from someone without knowing what the hell it was. That was an interesting night…

The Club was on their way back to the bar after a horrible, horrible situation. It went worse than they expected it too and still all Opie could think about was Alex. He was preoccupied with how she was doing and when no one picked up the phone, his concern became full blown worry.

While everyone else milled around the bar, Opie went for Gemma. He didn't have to ask, the matriarch smiling and pointing to the back rooms. He went without waiting, glad Gemma didn't seem worried. It Gemma was alright, maybe Alex was too.

"Hey."

Opie shifted and turned to see Alvarez standing behind him with a proud smile, his arm in a sling and his own wound sewn up. Opie's brows came together as he fought the urge to ask the man what the fuck he wanted. Patience was his strong suit at the moment, but Alvarez seemed to realize it.

"You're woman's strong man." He told him, the proud smile returning.

Opie's brows twitched together a bit tighter, confusion touching his features.

"Stubborn as Hell, but strong. Wouldn't let the doctor lady tell her to rest." He chuckled. "Got up and walked around anyway."

"Jesus Christ." Opie sighed, his head falling back. "Figures."

"She's a good woman man." He repeated, this time patting Opie's shoulder. "Hope you get the puta that did that to her."

Opie found himself nodding slowly and watching Alvarez as he went back to his own men. The conversation was weird and unexpected; enough it took him a minute to wrap his mind around it. Finally, realizing he really didn't care, Opie continued on into the apartment.

Jax walked into the bar not too far behind Opie in the beginning but the giant had all but ran into the backroom leaving the blond by himself. When he noticed his mother, Jax went to her side and hugged her lightly, his eyes moving around and spotting something disturbing.

"The hell happened here?" Jax asked, noticing the trashcan filled with more bloodied rags than Alvarez would need.

"They didn't tell you?" Gemma asked with a furrowed brow.

Jax's expression dropped.

"What?"

"Baby," Gemma said softly, taking the man's hand in her own. His brows came together tighter than before. "It's Alex. Emmett got a hold of her and…"

Gemma couldn't finish speaking before Jax stormed off into the backroom after Opie. He'd seen his brother disappear into the hall when he walked in so knew where to go. The door was closed and forced him to calm down enough to knock and not bang on it. When there was a muffled response, Jax stepped in.

Opie was sitting on the bed beside Alex and glanced over his shoulder to see the worry on Jax's face. He didn't say anything, turning back to Alex. She was sleeping still, slipping in and out of it since he sat down a few minutes ago.

"She okay?" he asked tentatively.

"I guess." Opie replied in the same heavy voice.

Jax continued into the room, the knot in his throat growing until he saw the young woman over Opie's shoulder.

"Jesus." He gasped.

In the passed two hours, the bruises became more pronounced than before and made it all the more obvious where Emmett had struck her. Almost her whole face was turning shades other than normal but the swelling was at a minimum, localized to cuts which meant he hadn't used his fists. Most likely, the bastard backhanded her repeatedly until the bruises formed. It wouldn't surprise any of them.

As it was, her jaw was tinting purple, her bottom lip busted on the right hand side. There was a small cut, barely an inch long on her right cheekbone, a bruise around it, another on her forehead and blood lingering just within her nostrils and along the cuts. He slapped the hell out of her and it was obvious to anyone that looked. But the worst, the absolute worst Jax's eyes fell to wasn't even the worst thing on her body. Without her figure beneath the blankets, Jax was capable of seeing the bandaged cut on her thigh, but not her shoulder.

"You guys catch this dick?"

Opie nodded, his eyes glued to Alex.

"Bobby tied him up at Alex's place. We're leaving him there till Alex can do whatever she wants to him."

"She wants a piece?" Jax asked with a hint of pride.

Opie nodded again when their talking seemed to rouse the young woman. Alex took one painful deep breath after another before managing to open her eyes. The sight of two figures looming over her caused fear to surge through the young woman. Alex suddenly tried to get away from Opie, pushing herself up and ignoring the intense agony it created.

"Alex, Alex," Opie said quickly, trying to calm her down. The fear written across her features was palpable but understandable. "Baby, it's me."

She was panting, fear still racing through her body when she realized Opie and Jax were the two staring worriedly at her. When the fear began to subside, the pain took its place. Wincing and grimacing, Alex slowly relaxed into her spot once again, silently praying she hadn't hurt herself further.

"Fuck…" she croaked, her voice sounding foreign even to her.

Opie wanted to help her back into her spot but he was too afraid to touch her. Everything looked hurt, bruises and traces of blood touching everything.

"The hell did Tara give me?" she asked, pressing her hand to her forehead to ebb the spinning room.

"No telling." Jax smiled before it faded quickly given her state of being. "Ope says you don't want us laying a hand on Emmett. That true?"

Alex nodded slowly, her eyes still closed as the world around her spun.

"I'm going to deal with it."

He didn't seem to like the answer but it was no more than Opie. He was still examining everything that marred her skin and scowled at it all. Alex must have felt it or noticed because it didn't take her long to focus on him.

"Stop making faces." She sighed.

"Can't help it." He replied under his breath, his eyes still moving along her features. Alex opened her eyes when his hand came out to move a strand of hair that had stuck to the blood that dried on her forehead.

"Opie," she said softly, taking his hand into hers and noticing the bloodied knuckles. "What'd you do?"

"It's nothing." He said, taking his hand back from her quickly.

She didn't believe him, but he didn't really expect her to.

"Is he still alive?" Alex asked, sensing that was the cause.

Opie only shrugged causing Jax to chuckle. Alex glanced to him and glared as well as she could. He barely stifled it.

"Not helping." She told him.

Jax shrugged indifferently. He didn't give a damn if Emmett choked on his own blood or not. Serves him right.

"Hey, you should go find Tara." Alex said out of nowhere. "I think she's a little freaked out."

"Yeah," he laughed. "Probably."

Alex managed a weak smile as Jax approached her. Opie moved out of the way enough to let him lean down and kiss her forehead.

"I'm glad you're okay darlin'."

Alex managed a weak smile, trying to keep her lip from breaking open again. He did the same and turned to leave to try and calm Tara down as best he could. He didn't doubt she was frazzled by something like this, he was and he didn't even know exactly what happened.

When Jax left, he closed the door behind him but didn't latch it shut, leaving it barely cracked in case Opie was behind him anytime soon. The likelihood was slim, knowing internally his brother would remain with Alex until she fell asleep again.

"You feeling okay?" Opie asked with genuine worry.

Alex forced another smile no matter how lazy.

"Better now." She replied honestly. Opie barely managed a twitch of a smile and she noticed. Alex's hand came over to grab his, lacing their fingers together. He let her but she could tell something was wrong. Her brow pulled together. "What's wrong Ope?"

He turned and looked away, staring at the ground as he thought about how he had gone home to find everything gone. It felt so inconsequential now given everything that had happened, but he couldn't help that it hurt too. The man dusted off his knee with his spare hand lazily, like the action would help him somehow. She tensed her hand in his.

"I'm sorry honey." She said softly.

Opie turned to look at her and forced a brief smile. Of course Alex would feel bad for him when she was laying in a bed beaten, bruised and half dead.

"For what?" He said simply.

"Still." She told him again. She may not know what was bothering him, that there was a shootout at Alvarez's place, that they watched an innocent woman get gunned down in front of their family or that Lyla had left. But she knew something was wrong and did feel sorry for that.

Opie nodded and grabbed her hand in his. He held it for a moment and looked thoroughly worn from everything. She wanted to pull him down onto the bed to lay with her but Alex wasn't sure she could move enough to do it. Evidently, Opie had the same thought; wanting to make sure she was safer than before and stood.

Alex's brows came together as he stood and walked to the other side of the bed. He was pulling of his cut and jacket, throwing it onto the nearest chair. His chains clanked and clattered with his long stride, the man running his fingers through his long hair and moved it out of his face before he got into the bed again. He scooted himself towards her as best he could, grateful the bed wasn't large and sat beside her. Alex didn't waste time, curling against the man as best she could manage with her injuries.

As the two enjoyed their silence, Alex began to tremble under Opie's arm. He looked down at her worriedly, even more so when she started to cry into his shirt. Alex wrapped her arm around Opie's waist and held him firmly while she cried into his stomach. Opie's heart dropped. He was suddenly thrust back fifteen years whenever she would start crying because of something and he was there to make her feel better. True it had only happened twice, but that was enough.

The young man's head fell back against the wall behind him as he tried to force the situation out of his mind. It wasn't that Alex was crying, it was _why_ that bothered him so much. She was hurt, physically, emotionally and probably a whole other array of ways he didn't know of and in truth there was nothing he could do about it. He had no choice but to sit there and let her. But the truth was, that was all Alex needed.

The smell of his leather, the bike's exhaust and cigarettes was more comforting to her than anything else, even more so when they were coming form Opie. Her grip tightened further if it were possible, until it hurt her to do so. He saved her. He saved her life and she would never be able to thank him enough for it.

"Thank you." She managed to say through broken cries.

Her voice was weak and Opie wasn't sure he'd heard her in the first place. Slowly, he looked down at the top of the young woman's head.

"Thank you." Alex repeated in the same unyielding tone of gratitude. She buried her face into his shirt further, if it were possible, and began to chant her thanks over and over again.

Opie was more confused than before and it didn't seem like she would be able to clear it up any time soon.

"Hey," he muttered, trying his best to force her to look up at him. Reluctantly, Alex did, tears staining her cheeks and lashes. "It's okay." He said. "You're safe now, okay? Nothing's going to hurt you again. You hear me?"

Alex smiled heavily and nodded.

"I know."

And she did. Alex knew that as long as Opie was near, she'd be safe. With a light nod, though why he wasn't sure, Opie released her chin and let Alex relax onto his stomach again.

Minutes passed without another cry or word audible. Opie soon realized Alex had either fallen asleep or was close to it and knew if he had a chance to leave, it would be now.

"Stay here." She said softly, still cradled to him. Alex was coherent enough to feel him move. Opie froze when she looked up at him so innocently it almost seemed provocative. "Please."

He nodded slowly and let her go back to her previous position.

"Don't leave." She whispered.

Opie looked down slightly. He wondered if she realized she had spoken out loud. She probably did. The thought made him smile. He kissed the top of her head gently causing her to sigh softly.

"I won't." he told her quietly.

She nodded, still slipping into slumber.

"I love you Opie."

"I love you too."

And he did, more than he probably should have. Securing an arm around her, Opie knew he wouldn't let anything happen to her again.

~~~~~!~~~~~


	17. Chapter 17

**More! There's a cute moment, to me at least, in this one. Enjoy!**

Family Recipe

Tara had to go into work early the following morning. After Roosevelt showed up with that god damn note at her front door, she wanted to see how much damage was done at the hospital. They didn't take this shit as lightly as the Club.

So with her gone for the day, she told Jax to check on Alex, knowing the young woman had remained behind. He agreed. Tara made sure he remembered to force the pills back down the girl's throat too if he had to. Alex was going to have to take the antibiotics at least. If she wanted to be stubborn and forget the pain killers, fine, but not the antibiotics. That's where Tara drew the line and Jax agreed. He didn't want Alex's stubbornness getting her ass sick after the shit they went through to save her.

He pulled up to the Club House and parked his bike, wondering if he should be surprised or not that Opie's was already there. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he shook his head, pulling his helmet off and stepped into the bar.

The young man said his good mornings, a procession of head nods to the ones he didn't feel like wasting time on and went straight for the apartment. Jax paused at the door, pressing his ear to it to see if he could hear anything. No running water. No talking. Nothing. He lightly rapped his knuckles against the hollow wooden door. When there was no response, he elected instead to open it completely. He didn't want to risk waking her if Alex was sleeping soundly for once.

To his shock, Alex wasn't alone. She was asleep, yeah, Jax had expected that, but he wasn't expecting the company. A wide smile crossed his lips at the sight of Opie and Alex sleeping in the bed together.

It wasn't indecent in any way, shape or form, it was just unexpected. The large man was nestled down in the pillows. It looked like he had been leaning against the headboard and moved awkwardly down at some point during the night. He even kicked off his boots, Opie's holey-toed socks well on display over the edge of the bed.

Alex on the other hand was curled tightly to Opie's side, his massive arm wrapped protectively around her waist to ensure it. She was laying on her left keeping every new injury she'd sustained from reopening by sleeping on them. Her leg still caked in dried, chipped blood and white gauze was draped over Opie's legs, her right hand clutching his shirt so tightly Jax wondered if it was stuck that way. Alex's face was nuzzled into the nape of Opie's neck, half hidden behind his beard while he rested his cheek in her hair. It was cute, honestly, and if she didn't look so beaten up, the young woman wrapped around Opie in nothing but a t-shirt and panties would have made Jax swell with pride.

A laugh left Jax's throat as he scooted slowly along the foot of the pullout bed and moved to Opie's side. He didn't want to wake up Alex, only Opie, especially when they had Church in an hour. When he reached the other side of the bed, Jax had to watch his step further; Opie's other huge arm hanging off the edge, awaiting someone stupid enough to run into it.

"Ope," Jax whispered, still unable to keep the smile from his lips. Opie didn't move. Jax smacked his hanging arm lightly. "Ope." This time he got little more than a deep breath but Opie still didn't move. "Bro." Jax snapped a little louder, smacking the man's arm again. As though irritated with the action, Opie did something Jax hadn't expected. He shifted, rolling onto his side and wrapped both arms around Alex. "Jesus," Jax sighed. "Even in his sleep he can't leave her alone."

With his patience a little thin despite the grin, Jax knew he had to get a little more assertive. Slowly, he moved onto the bed, gently putting a knee up so he could move closer to Opie. Reaching back, Jax brought his fist down on Opie's upper thigh hard.

"Ah!" Opie called loudly from the pain, jolting awake harsher than Jax expected.

The man fumbled to sit up and accidently knocked Alex around. She awoke when something pushed into her shoulder.

"Son of a bitch!" she screamed, sitting up and cradling her arm to her chest in time to see Jax staring at her with an apologetic expression. It lost its power when he couldn't even wipe the smile off his damn face. "What the fuck Teller?"

"I'm so sorry." He laughed. "I was trying to wake up Ope."

The large man glared hatefully at his brother, rubbing the area he'd been hit as he leaned against the headboard.

"You punched the shit out of my leg asshole."

"I didn't even hit you that hard you pussy."

Instead of responding verbally, Opie's leg shot out. Jax jumped back but managed to get a bit of the swing, the hit landing against his own thigh. Opie hadn't held back either.

"Ah fuck." Jax laughed, cradling his leg as he fumbled to keep from falling. "Okay, we're good."

"You boys are idiots." Alex sighed, leaning her head back and groaning horribly.

The two seemed to share a silent chuckle when Jax's eyes moved back to the young woman cuddling her arm.

"How you feeling darlin'?"

She took a breath and thought about it. Currently everything hurt; it throbbed continuously even more so after Jax's mean wake up call, but she knew that wasn't what he was asking. He meant overall and aside from the residual aching she felt through every bruise, cut and scar, her mind was as sharp as ever.

"Crusty." She replied sarcastically, noting the dried blood nearly everywhere.

The two men shared another laugh. Alex felt the weight of the bed give when Opie stood and stretched. He groaned from the action and looked back at the young woman in the bed, his face turning sad almost immediately.

"You need a shower or something?" he asked.

"Yeah. That'd be nice. Or I can just go around like this all day, start a trend."

"Smartass." Jax smiled.

She grinned before looking down again. Her smile faded, the young woman trying to pull her shirt down as far as she could.

"I don't have any damn clothes though."

Opie walked towards the small 'closet' they had set up, the row of hanging shirts in the corner and reached for a bag on top. He sifted through it for a moment before pulling out a pair of boxers.

"Here." He said, tossing them at her. "It's the best I've got."

"Are they clean?" Alex asked with a raised brow.

"Yeah." Opie scoffed, shaking his head at her as he replaced the backpack.

When he looked back around he noticed Alex holding them up. They were big enough to fit her, that wasn't the problem. But there was a problem.

"How the hell am I supposed to wear these?" she asked in a higher voice than normal. "They're huge."

"Take 'em or leave 'em." He shrugged, trying to ignore Jax laughing in the corner.

"I need a damn belt for these you mammoth."

Jax's laugh turned to snickering which caused the large man to glare while Alex smiled. With a sigh, she threw her legs over the edge of the bed and attempted to stand. It didn't go over well. Almost immediately, pain shot through her leg and forced her knee to buckle. Alex had bitten back a cry when it had and barely caught herself on the edge of the bed before hitting the ground. Both Jax and Opie lurched forward a step before they realized she hadn't fallen completely.

"God damn it." She growled to herself, more pissed off that walking was going to be an issue than being hurt.

"Need some help?" Jax offered.

"I'm fine." Alex said shortly.

Neither man believed her but they were smart enough to keep their distance. Both knew she'd probably smack at them if they tried to pick her up.

"Well, get ready man." Jax said, shifting to Opie. "We've got the vote in an hour."

"Yeah." Opie nodded as Jax walked by.

Their tone of voice let Alex know something was wrong.

"What's going on?"

"Don't worry about it." Opie said, trying to stem her curiosity.

Alex scoffed at the man and looked to Jax. He could see her worry and knew there was no harm in telling her. Unlike Opie, Jax knew he didn't have to protect her from the Club's business. Alex wasn't stupid. No offense to Opie's wife, but she wasn't as clueless as Lyla and could actually handle their business. Jax treated her like Tara.

"Some shit's been going on lately." Jax began, his hands moving into his pockets when Opie growled under his breath. He watched his brother move towards the bathroom before his eyes fell back to Alex. "Club's been in some new territory lately and some of us aren't liking it."

"You mean the drugs?" she asked to his shock. "No shit Jax. It's fucking stupid."

He narrowed his eyes on her for a moment, wondering who the hell had told her what they were doing. His mind immediately shot to Tara, the only other non-Club member who knew. Problem was it wasn't Tara. It was Piney that told her. He made an internal note to talk to his ol' lady before continuing on.

"Regardless," he said tersely before calming. "Bobby doesn't like it."

Alex's eyes went wide.

"Is he trying to take the gavel?"

Jax nodded reluctantly.

"Oh shit." She sighed, sitting back down on the bed as she thought.

Something like this could destroy the Club; rip it into shreds before the vote was even cast. If Bobby won, those who voted for Clay to say in would be looked at sideways for the rest of their lives and vice versa. Trust would never be rebuilt after something like this and knowing Clay, the man wouldn't take anyone who sided with Bobby lightly. He was too proud, too power hungry to let something like that go.

Despite desperately wanting to know, Alex knew better than to ask either man who they were siding with. She didn't want to know in the end and didn't think it mattered until, or unless, the power changed hands. With another contemplative sigh, Alex ran her fingers through her hair and grumbled when it caught just passed the crown of her head.

"Damn it." She hissed quietly. With a sigh, she looked back at Jax. "Good luck."

Jax barely managed to scoff a laugh and nodded, his head falling down. She watched him slip into thought for a moment before meeting her eyes again and stepping forward. He bent down and kissed her forehead gently.

"You should clean yourself up," he said when he stood upright again. "You look like shit."

Alex's jaw dropped. Without hesitation, her hand shot out and punched him in the gut. Jax grunted from the hit but laughed regardless. She smiled.

"Feel better darlin'. I'll see you after a little while." He said. She nodded and watched as he walked through the door. Not a second later, he poked it back through the crack. "Tara says take your shit."

And that was it. With a point to the bottle on the end table, Jax was gone again. Alex laughed and shook her head at the idiot, so happy she had come home.

The running water forced Alex to turn. Opie was in the process of pulling his hair back as tight as he could, slicking down the cow-lick with water before he got it right. Shutting it off when he was done, Opie moved into the main room again to see Alex watching him. He forced a sideways smile, grabbing his leather jacket and cut.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, knowing she wasn't as fine as she thought.

Alex shrugged her good shoulder. It was an honest answer, more honest than she had been giving them lately. He nodded, zipping up the leather jacket and snatching his beanie out from a pocket. Opie walked towards her, pulling the knit fabric onto his head.

"Need me to give you a lift?" he asked, pointing over his shoulder with his thumb to the shower.

Alex glanced in that direction and rolled her eyes, sticking out her tongue with a noise similar to something a five year old would do.

"I know how to walk." She muttered under her breath. "I'm good."

Opie cocked a brow to her but nodded regardless and bent down kissing her forehead. He lingered for a moment forcing Alex's eyes to close from the action. Too soon it seemed the endearing motion was over and he stood upright again.

"I'll be back later. Okay?"

Alex nodded with a weak smile and watched the man walk through the door, looking to her for a moment before disappearing down the hall.

For a brief moment after he was gone, Alex found herself thinking about the fate of SAMCRO. Bobby was a good man, smart and level headed. He would be a great leader, but the damage beforehand was incalculable. She found herself thinking more and more about it until her eyes caught sight of the blood on her thighs. Bile rose in her throat and as quickly as she could, Alex made her way to the bathroom.

She stumbled; nearly fell a few times and it would take her at least twice as long as normal, but she was going to do it by herself and for that she was proud. The shower was going to be a welcomed thing, warm water, clean skin, relaxation. She wanted it all.

~~~!~~~

Opie sat outside at the picnic table talking to Jax when Clay walked by telling them all the vote was in ten minutes. Jax glanced briefly to his buddy before following after the Prez. Opie on the other hand moved towards Piney and talked to him. His loyalty to the Club was nothing compared to his loyalty to his dad.

"So how's Alex doing?" Piney asked with a sigh. "After that bullshit with her old man."

Opie shrugged halfheartedly.

"Says she's fine but… I don't know." He replied honestly.

Piney chuckled to himself and nodded. He knew her well enough, they all did, and knew she was hurting worse than she let on.

"She here?"

"Yeah. Slept in the apartment last night." Opie nodded.

Piney nodded too and left to go inside. He wanted to see the young woman, talk to her and make sure she was really alright before the vote.

The old man lumbered through the hall towards the dorm and noticed the door opened. Being the gentleman he was, he knocked first regardless.

"_Yeah_?" she called from within.

Piney pushed the door open and noticed her sitting in the bathroom on the toilet, out of breath like she'd run a mile.

"Jesus, darling." He said heavily, walking into the room and stopping at the bathroom door to get a better look.

To him, one who hadn't seen her before, Alex looked awful. She did in fact look bad, but it was infinitely better than yesterday.

Alex managed a weak, crooked smile in response. He noted the blood on her skin, the bruising on her face and the white on her leg from the bandage. There were still cuts on her face too, making her look all the more broken.

"What'd he do to you sweetheart?"

Alex waved her hand dismissively.

"Doesn't matter now. It's done."

Piney shook his head disappointedly at the sight. This was his little girl, the one he never had and he treated her as such. So seeing her sitting there with evidence a man had laid his hands on her was heartbreaking.

"My boy taking care of you?" he found himself asking.

"Yeah." Alex said with a smile. "Stayed with me last night."

A knowing smile began to spread across his old face, instantly lightening his appearance.

"Good. You tell me if he doesn't."

She saluted him sarcastically with a laugh.

"Yes sir."

Piney chuckled and stepped into the bathroom, leaning over and kissing the top of her head sweetly.

"I love you princess."

"I love you too pops." She grinned, the man smiling back to her.

Alex watched as a hint of sorrow touched Piney's eyes before he turned and walked out the dorm room, closing the door behind him. Her smile faded the moment he was gone. She wished she knew more, knew what weighed so heavily on him and the others, but part of her found she was glad she didn't. There was too much of a shit storm swirling right now and they needed a damn break.

~~!~~

Alex had been sitting in the tub portion of the shower, her knees curled to her chest as best they could be, the hot water raining down overhead. The water was finally running clear after who knew how long. She had grown so accustomed to seeing the red and brown tinted liquid, she wondered if the blood would ever be gone completely.

She had already cleaned herself, washing off with soap and so forth, but she was partially considering burning her skin off. Alex could still feel Emmett's hands on her, his fist, the knife. Now that her brain was relatively clear, she was capable of remembering everything that happened the night before in startling detail.

The tears burned again and like before Alex buried her face in her palms and fought the urge to cry. She had to repeat to herself to stop whining, stop crying, and stop being so god damn weak. She hated being the damsel in distress, the princess locked in the tower waiting for her knight to come and rescue her. Maybe that was why Alex never called the Club? Maybe she thought she could either defend herself or Emmett would finally kill her. At least then she wouldn't look weak.

Bullets suddenly rang through the Club House. Alex bit back a scream and slid into the bathtub, curling her body into as small a ball as she could. Shattering glass met her ears, splitting wood and automatic gun fire.

As soon ass it happened it was over. The shower still ran as though nothing had happened in the fist place. Hesitantly, Alex pushed herself up, wiping as much water out of her face as she could and looked around. She didn't know what the hell she expected to see, but it was something you did without meaning to.

"What the fuck?" she gasped to herself.

~~!~~

"Come on Pop," Opie sighed, Happy and the others dealing with the man they'd caught. "I need you here."

"Keep your head down boy, you hear me?" Piney warned, still sitting on his bike.

Reluctantly Opie nodded.

"And you take care of Alex. Keep her safe."

"I will." He said, wondering why his dad seemed so worried about the young woman.

Piney nodded to the young man and started up his motorcycle again before driving off. But as Piney left Opie standing with his cryptic behavior, the young man suddenly realized Alex had been there the whole time.

"Shit." He hissed, turning on his heels and racing through the Club House. "Alex!" he called, bursting through the dorm room door without hesitation. He didn't even wait for a response before repeating the action on the bathroom door. "Alex."

"What the fuck Winston?" she snapped loudly.

Opie had run in on the young woman in the middle of wrapping the towel around her body. The shock of the situation was enough to make him spin around and turn his back to her. Didn't mean he didn't see a little bit of skin… but he turned regardless.

"The fuck's wrong with you?"

"I need to get you out of here." He told her quickly, trying not to sound like he was blushing. Though, when he thought about it, a blush wasn't something you could necessarily hear in someone's voice.

"No shit." She snapped. "Help me."

Both of them knew the young woman needed to get the help out before cops showed up and declared the Club a crime scene. The way Roosevelt was, she'd probably get taken in and questioned about what the hell happened to her or worse, he'd think one of the members did it.

Daringly Opie glanced over his shoulder and saw her handing him her shirt, the towel wrapped tightly around her body. She was still glaring at the man but was just as frazzled as him it seemed. She couldn't help it. Drive by shootings weren't something you tended to get used to.

Without waiting, Opie did his best to help the young woman slip the shirt on over the towel when Jax appeared in the doorway.

"You need to get her out of here bro." he said, glad Alex was standing on her own. "Take her back to her place or something, but she can't be here. PD's on their way."

Opie nodded but didn't speak as Alex struggled to pull on his massively oversized boxers before pulling the towel away and throwing it on the ground. Opie didn't bother asking her if she could walk, knowing it was nowhere near as fast as they needed right now and lifted her into his arms.

Alex squeaked from the sudden movement but didn't speak as they wove through the Club House and into the parking lot. The action seemed to go marginally unnoticed in the chaos as the sirens sounded in the distance.

As gracefully as he could, Opie opened Alex's passenger side door and set her down. She was more than capable of getting in on her own. After all, it was nothing more than graceful falling. Opie moved to the driver's side and got in too, flipping down her visor and letting her keys fall free. She didn't bother asking, assuming he put them there after their arrival the other day.

He sped off quickly, seconds before the cops appeared in their rearview mirror and pulled into Teller-Marrow. In the clear, Opie seemed to relax but the hard line never left his jaw. He kept glancing in the mirror, making sure they weren't followed as he wove through the streets toward Alex's house.

"You going to tell me what the hell that was about?"

He looked at her briefly out of the corner of his eye but that was about it.

"I don't know."

"Damn it Opie, I'm a grown ass woman. Tell me the truth."

"That is the truth." He snapped back before calming. "We were in the middle of a vote when a couple of beaners fucking rolled up and shot us. I don't know what the hell's going on."

"Fine." She mumbled, falling back into her seat.

Opie looked at her this time, his eyes moving up and down the woman before his brows cocked.

"Grown ass woman?" he repeated in a thickly sarcastic voice.

"Shut up." She mumbled again causing the man to grin to himself.

The two drove for a few more minutes before making their way into Alex's driveway. Opie hesitated to park, his eyes on the slightly dented aluminum door. Alex noticed the look.

"What?" she asked apprehensively.

"Stay here. I'm going to unlock the door."

She felt her eyes narrow on his unusual behavior, even more so when Opie got out and barely slid the garage door open before crouching down and slipping through. It seemed out of place. She knew the house was locked up tightly from the inside and going through the garage was the best way, but she didn't understand why Opie would crawl under the door instead of throwing it open completely. Then it donned on her. Well, a few theories donned on her actually.

Alex's blood was likely still all over the garage floor and she assumed that could be one of the reasons he wanted to keep her back. Another could be he wanted to make sure Emmett wasn't anywhere to be seen, but the most likely and the one she found herself leaning towards was Emmett was actually in the garage. It wouldn't shock her if the sick bastard was actually tied up the same way she had been and Bobby left him there to rot until they were ready for him.

Before she could enjoy the thought and become thoroughly unnerved by the concept of Emmett being so close, the front door opened and Opie walked out again. He approached her side of the car and helped Alex stand. He didn't bother asking if she could walk and instead lifted her into his arms again and brought her into her home.

"Couch work?" he asked, leaning over to set her down gently.

"Something tells me I don't have much of a choice."

Opie didn't say anything as he stood upright again. He looked around the house apprehensively, wiping his hands off as though he'd done something dirty. Alex didn't take it that way though. It was a nervous habit Opie had, one of the few. When he didn't know what to do, he brush off his jeans, wipe his face or mess with his hands somehow, all the while averting eye contact. Just like he was now.

"Everything alright?" Alex asked with a raised brow.

Opie looked back to her and nodded, trying to keep his concern from his features.

"Yeah." He replied easily. "You going to be okay here for a little while? I need to go figure out what the hell's happening?"

"Yeah, sure." She nodded unsurely.

"Need anything?"

Her eyes fell back to the man to see him staring down at her unsurely. She could tell he was worried about leaving her alone which did make her feel better.

"A phone?" she offered with a smile.

Opie chuckled and glanced around. He didn't see a home phone and assumed, like most people nowadays, Alex only had a cell phone. Without bothering to ask where, Opie decided to check her room first. He stepped over the large pool of dried blood left in her bedroom door's threshold and spotted her cell phone on the bedside table. He grabbed it and walked back into the living room.

"Here." He said, handing her the device and leaning forward. Like before, Opie kissed her forehead. "I'll be back later."

Alex nodded and watched as yet again, Opie left her alone. She sat still for a moment, her eyes darting around the house like Emmett was going to come bursting out from anywhere like he had last time, grab her when she wasn't looking and start all over again.

Opie felt bad for leaving Alex alone, worse than bad actually. He felt disgusting. If he had a choice, Opie would either stay with her the entire time or have her come along with him. The only thing that made him feel better was he knew what Bobby did with Emmett. He knew her husband would never lay another hand on her. That was the thought that let him actually leave. If he didn't know where the man was, Opie wasn't certain his body would allow him to leave her side until they found Emmett.

But Alex didn't. Alex didn't know any of that and the overwhelming fear that the man would come from the shadows was a bit more than she felt comfortable dealing with. Grabbing her phone, she decided to at least call someone and talk, even if she only got the voicemail.


	18. Chapter 18

**Oh my god you people are awesome. ****Seriously, just plain awesome. I'm so glad people are enjoying this story. I can't seem to get the chapters up fast enough when you guys tell me what you think. So, without further ado, Enjoy!**

Family Recipe

Pt.2

Alex called the only person she knew she probably should talk to and the only one that could give her pain meds to knock her out.

"_Hello?"_ Tara asked.

"Oh… hey." Alex replied surprised. "I was going to just leave a voicemail. I thought you were supposed to be at work?"

"_Long story."_ Tara sighed irritated, not willing to go into her forced medical leave because the Board thought her death threat was a problem. _"How are you feeling?"_

"That's why I was calling. I left my meds at the Club House. I'd get more but I don't know what you gave me."

"_That's no problem. I can grab them."_

"No, don't go out of your way." Alex said, feeling bad for a moment. "I mean, you can write me a prescription yeah, but you don't have to go all the way down there."

"_It's fine."_ Tara smiled. _"I'm already here. I'll just grab them and stop by. I have some stuff for you anyway. Where are you?"_

"Home. Ope dropped me off and something tells me he stole my car too."

Tara laughed lightly on the other end.

"_Uh, yeah, he did."_ She finally said. Alex felt her eyes narrow skeptically. _"He just pulled up in it."_

"Damn it." Alex snapped. "What if I had to go somewhere?"

"_You can't drive."_

"Still…" she muttered.

Tara laughed lightly again and Alex could clearly hear a car door closing.

"_I'll be there in about ten minutes. Okay?"_

"Sure. Just walk in. It's not like I can walk anyway."

With a goodbye, the two hung up and Alex went about waiting impatiently, nervously.

The young woman was nearly a nervous wreck by the time Tara finally had arrived. At one point, Alex had risen from her seat and made it painfully, awkwardly, into the hall and paused when she spotted the blood on her carpet. For some reason, the only thing she could think of was how big of a pain in the ass it was going to be to get out. Maybe she should have been worried about the man who'd left it, but no, her security deposit was her bigger worry.

With what little balance she possessed, Alex made her way towards the garage door and hesitated. She stood with her hand on the knob for nearly five minutes before she was brave enough to open it up. In one swift movement, she threw the door open and flipped on the lights.

Nothing.

There was nothing there that shouldn't have been other than the pool of coagulated blood and some fragments of duct tape.

"What the f…"

A car pulling up was the only thing that seemed to have wrenched Alex from her thoughts. Hurriedly, she turned off the light, slammed the door shut and hopped into the living room using the walls for more balance than she liked.

Tara was knocking on the door before Alex had even made it into the living room.

"Coming!" she called breathlessly.

"Don't hurt yourself." Tara replied sarcastically, opening the door right as Alex reached it.

"Well aren't you just a pain in the ass Knowles." Alex sighed, tired, worn and irritated.

Tara looked at the young woman's flushed cheeks and realized she had been doing more than she rightfully should.

"Jesus Alex," she sighed annoyed. "Sit down before you keel over."

Alex responded by rolling her eyes and moving to the couch again. She hesitated to put much if any pressure on her right leg, gimping as best she could until she had the coffee table for support and all but fell into the plush seating. With a loud sigh, her head fell onto the back of the couch, a thin sheen of sweat touching her head.

"You're doing too much too fast." Tara said, sitting beside the young woman and pulling a bag into her lap. "You're going to either pop stitches or hurt yourself."

"Okay _mom_." Alex said under her breath as she tried to steady her heartbeat.

Tara let a smirk touch her lips as she dug into the bag and pulled out a few things. Alex rolled her head leisurely to the side to see a sling and two bottles of pills before Tara pulled something out that made Alex sit straight up.

"This should help you walk." Tara said, unfolding a hospital cane and snapping it into its rigid form.

"A cane." Alex repeated with absolutely no enthusiasm.

Tara nodded.

"A cane." She repeated.

"I knew you were quick."

Alex glared instantly at Tara's teasing.

"You need it." She sighed as though she was annoyed herself. "Some of the muscle was cut and it needs time to heal."

Alex glared at the metallic cane she was handed, turning it this way and that in her hands.

"Couldn't you have gotten me something cooler?"

"It's a cane." Tara replied under her breath.

"Yeah, but why not one with flames?" Alex asked, standing up to test the height of the device. "At least then I could hobble in style."

"Then get one of your own." She said without hesitation.

Alex grimaced at the cane, not liking the thought she would have to use it for the next few days at least. Granted it would help, but she really didn't want to have to use it. To make things worse, she had to use her left hand. She was right handed.

"And this."

Alex turned to see Tara offering her a sling, another ugly contraption she got from the hospital. The young woman's green eyes narrowed even further.

"Bitch all you want, but you need this." Tara said sternly.

Alex knew she did. Hell, just standing like she was she had to cradle her arm to her chest. Doing much moving of any kind made the damn thing hurt and made her feel like she was going to bust a stitch.

"He cut through your pectoral muscle, managed somehow to miss severing your subclavian artery entirely and embedded the knife in your shoulder blade." Tara said sternly. "You need the damn sling."

Alex stared at the floor, her brows pulling together tightly as she thought about what Emmett had done. She remembered him standing behind her and reaching back before plunging the knife into her shoulder. She felt it hit the bone. Do you know what it's like, actually _feeling_ a knife slice through your body and only stop because it hit bone? Alex did.

"So you don't have a choice with this." She finished, standing in front of Alex.

The young woman couldn't even manage to glare at Tara when the doctor went about fastening the sling to her body without asking. She slid Alex's arm though the slot and tightened the strap, adjusting it to their height it needed to be before stepping away when she was done.

"Fell better?"

"Yes." She mumbled like a hurt child.

Tara openly rolled her eyes. Alex growled.

"I hate being an invalid!" she suddenly snapped, turning around and hobbling towards the bedroom to get something new to wear.

It was then Tara, for some unknown reason though it was likely because she was checking the woman's leg, noticed Alex was wearing boxers.

"Whose boxers are you wearing?"

"_Opie's."_ Alex answered without thinking about how it may have sounded.

Tara stifled the laugh. How was it so obvious to everyone else that the two might as well be together but not to the pair involved? How did that work?

"Hey, are you going to that garden thing tonight?" Tara found herself asking.

Alex was standing in her bedroom at her dresser, grabbing some underwear of her own to put on when she heard Tara call to her from the living room. The vanity was right there and she couldn't help herself. Slowly, Alex's eyes moved up to her reflection. Or at least, she assumed it was her. The young woman in the reflection bore a cut through her bottom lip, one on her forehead and another on her right cheek. The bruises weren't as bad as she thought they'd be, but still there. It was all she saw and it made her wonder if being in public was a good idea. Then again, the only other option was remaining at home.

But as bad as she looked, as battered and beaten, Alex was more accustomed to seeing this version looking at her through a mirror than her normal face. She was used to seeing red on her cheek, or a bruise here and there. _That_ Alex was her only friend for years.

"You okay?"

Alex jumped at the sudden voice. After a few minutes of silence, Tara had walked down the hall. She saw the large blood stain on the carpet and knew what it was from. Opie told Jax what he and Bobby did who in turn told her. Everyone knew Alex would give half answers and fuzzy truths if they came to her. And when Tara made it to the door and fought the smile the pool brought out, she noticed Alex staring sadly at her reflection.

The young woman turned to see Tara leaning against the doorjamb with worry touching her face. Alex forced a smile and nodded.

"Yeah." She smiled. "I'm good. You think it'd be alright if I tagged along? I don't really feel like sitting out here."

"Yeah." Tara smiled warmly. "Gemma's going to be there and so are a couple of the guys. It'd be nice."

"Speaking of, do you know what happened earlier?" Alex asked, wondering about the shootout.

Tara shook her head slowly.

"Not really. Jax said they're trying to figure it out."

"Okay," Alex nodded hesitantly before remembering what she was doing. "Give me a little while to get ready. It might take me a few minutes."

"Sure. Let me change the bandages real quick and you can go ahead and change."

Alex nodded again, Tara moving into the living room and grabbing her bag before she returned. The doctor followed Alex to her bed and set her supplies down.

"Do you have a bra or something on?"

"Oh, no." Alex said as though she'd forgotten. "I was going to grab one."

When she tried to stand, Tara motioned for her to stay seated and walked over to the dresser.

"Top drawer on the left." Alex instructed.

Tara opened the door and looked within.

"Do you have a strapless one or anything? It'd be best, you know, so it doesn't rub against the bandages." she asked, trying not to be surprised by the but of a chrome handgun nestled within a thinly strapped night shirt.

"No, but there should be a black one in there with removable straps."

Tara looked around; moving the bras and night shirts around before finding the one Alex was talking about. She felt a little odd, digging through another woman's underwear drawer, but there weren't panties within and it was easier to think of it along the lines of a doctor's duties. She'd dressed patients before, put on their underclothes and so forth when they needed help, so it was foreign territory, but it was still odd.

When she returned to Alex's side, Tara handed off the bra and began to go through her bag for new bandages. Alex was preoccupied with detaching the straps and fixing them before standing. With her back to Tara this time, Alex took off her shirt with the doctor's help. Sliding on her bra, Alex waited as the young woman clasped it. One strap was already in place, but she needed Tara to cross the other. Without needing to be told, Tara did as she assumed, crossing the straps across Alex's back and letting her take her seat again.

The way it was set up now, the right strap would still rub against the bandage but nowhere near as bad as before. Tara quickly began to replace the old bandage, noticing the tape was loose which only would have happened if it was previously removed and reapplied. It didn't surprise her. With the blood gone from Alex's skin, Tara knew the young woman had taken a shower.

Within a few minutes, Tara had the two bandages changed and went into the living room to give Alex her privacy. The rest the young woman could do on her own. Sure it would be awkward as all hell to pull on her pants, but she didn't want Tara to know her anymore intimately than she already did.

Alex struggled with her jeans like she knew she would, wiggling this way and that as she tried to get them up with only one arm. She knew she had to look ridiculous and was damn near exhausted by the time she had them on. With heavy breaths, she buttoned them up and put on a button up shirt, assuming it would be the easiest to wear, and replaced her sling. On her way out, she grabbed a pair of socks and her favorite boots too.

Tara looked up when Alex walked down the hall ten minutes after closing the door. There was a light sheen of sweat on her forehead again and Tara knew how tired the young woman must be. If Alex didn't calm down soon, she was going to seriously hurt herself. But, telling her to stop doing something was the same as yelling it at a brick wall. You'd be talking to yourself and feel stupid by the time you were done. So Tara didn't waste the breath. After all, she had important things on her mind.

"Alex, can I ask you something?"

Alex looked over to see the serious expression on Tara's face as she singlehandedly, literally, pulled on her sock. Her brows came together.

"Yeah, of course." Alex answered. "What's wrong?"

Tara hesitated to speak. She looked off into the room, her mind swarming with everything she had been going through, everything that had gone on and none of it was good. She wanted advice, help in deciding whether or not what she was thinking was a good idea, but it was hard to say.

Alex noticed Tara's eyes turn glassy without a single word uttered. Her brows came together worriedly as she stopped trying to pull on her last sock and sat up again. Tara was like her when it came to crying. It had to be something that hit you too close to home to avoid, hit your heart directly, before tears would appear.

"Hey," Alex said softly forcing Tara to meet her eyes. "It's okay."

"It's so fucking far from being okay." He replied weakly, her voice cracking like she wanted to cry.

Tara looked down again and shook her head, clearing her throat a few times before meeting Alex's worried gaze.

"I don't think I can do this anymore."

"Do what?"

"This." She motioned around and Alex knew it wasn't about just coming to patch up her. "All this bullshit. I can't bring up the boys near this. How long until it comes after me? After my sons?"

"I don't know." Alex answered sadly.

"Will it?" Tara found herself asking, no one yet giving her the answer.

"Honestly?" Alex asked. Tara nodded. "Probably."

Tara let out an exasperated breath and looked at her hands again as she picked nervously at her nails.

"I won't lie Tara, yeah, it might. There's no guarantees it won't."

"Then I can't be here around it. I refuse to let Thomas and Abel grow up where people are getting shot every day."

Alex felt her brow furrow sadly, seeing the desperation coming from Tara that only a mother could feel.

"Have you talked to Jackie about this?"

Tara shook her head, slowly meeting Alex's concerned face.

"I don't know how."

And that was where the advice came in. Alex knew _that_ was the thing Tara needed help with. A weak smile crossed Alex's lips, the best she could manage even though there wasn't an iota of happiness in it.

"Tell him the truth."

Tara scoffed whether she meant to or not.

"He's a big boy. He'll understand."

"What if he doesn't?"

"Why wouldn't he?" Alex countered.

She could tell Tara was scared, of what exactly she wasn't sure, but scared nonetheless.

"Jax won't let anything happen to you guys, you know that right?" she finally asked. Tara reluctantly seemed to nod. "He'll protect you anyway he can, even if it means when you're not in Charming."

Tara nodded again. It was the best she could manage, but did feel better about her talk with Alex. She wanted to talk to someone that wasn't Gemma, that wasn't as involved in Jax's life as she was. True Alex held a lot of sway with the young man when it came to certain things, but Alex seemed to realize that some things are better than staying with 'family' in the Club House. Sometimes, leaving is the only way to save people.

By the time Tara had relaxed a bit, Alex was putting on her makeup. She had surprised the doctor evidently by the lack of bruising visible. In fact nearly all of it was gone. The only places a bruise was visible was nearest the cuts where she couldn't put make up in the first damn place.

When she commented on it, Alex reluctantly told her it was a technique she had perfected through the years. And it was true. If Alex was allowed to go anywhere alone, or even with Emmett, and she had injuries, she had to find the best way to make them look like they weren't there. It was useful in her old life and sadly enough was a transferable skill.

The gardens were beautiful, flowers and trees blooming everywhere. Clay had donated a decent amount of money to their preservation, a touching notion for the city and helped repair some of the damage to his reputation the whole Club had sustained.

Alex enjoyed herself, glad she wasn't stuck at her house and was around friends. Tig asked how she was feeling, as did Clay and Gemma, all noticing the cane and sling. She repeated that she was fine no matter how much they all knew it was a lie or how often she had to sit and rest, because in the end she was fine. She was happier now, nursing her wounds at home in Charming, than she had ever been when Emmett beat the shit out of her. She had people who actually cared enough to ask, to offer help, to take care of her if she needed it. She may have refused a lot of their offers, a bit too proud to accept, but felt the caring when they asked.

The sun was setting by the time Alex was dropped off at her house. She was truly and thoroughly exhausted. People may use that word when they're tired, sleepy or just dreary, but you don't know the meaning of it unless you've been through the same kind of shit. She was nursing too many injuries to have been out like she was that day and despite the fun, it was wreaking havoc now. Alex cursed herself for agreeing with Tara on over exerting herself.

She flipped through the channels on her TV, searching for something she could use as white noise to know her out when her cell phone rang. Alex lazily reached for it and answered the call.

"Hello?"

"_Hey darlin'. How you feeling?"_

"Hey papa." She beamed. "I'm good, tired as hell but good. How you doing old man?"

He let out a long, winded sigh.

"_Getting' old ain't fun. I wouldn't recommend it."_

She smiled until she heard a liquid in some kind of container swish near the mouth of his phone. She grumbled her frustration.

"Go easy on that. I want you to stick around a while longer. You hear me?"

"_Don't go taking away my only fun."_ He teased.

"Yeah well, you've got to stick out at least long enough for me to have kids. Shit, I'm the only second generation that hasn't yet."

"_I bet they'll be beautiful though when you do."_ He said. Alex smiled and shook her head. Ever the charmer. _"I just wanted to make sure you were feeling okay."_

"I'm better." She told him honestly.

"_Good. I love you sweetheart."_

"Love you too Papa Piney."

And with that they hung up. Piney never talked long and that was even when he managed to call. If Piney didn't want to be found, he wouldn't be, but there was a loophole. Alex. When she still lived here, there was hardly a few days that could go by before she'd talk to him, sooner than the others half the time. She was his favorite.

Smiling to herself, Alex moved to toss the phone on the cushion beside her when it rang in her hand. Curiously, she looked at the number and smiled wide when she answered.

"Both Winston men in two minutes. I must be special." She teased.

"_You just talk to pops?"_ Opie asked.

"Yeah. He was checking in. How bout you?"

"_Checking in."_ he replied simply.

"I'm fine Ope." She said for easily the thousandth time. The only thing that seemed to change was the circumstance around her answer. "How was that thing about the stuff at the place with those people?"

Opie laughed on the other end of the line. It was true, her confusingly vague phrase. He did have a thing, with some people about some stuff at that one place. It was just funny hearing her say it.

"_Fine."_ He replied, recycling her answer. _"You home?"_

"You stole my car."

"_Like you've never stolen a car before."_

Alex didn't reply but grinned knowingly.

"_I'll bring it by in a minute. That work for you?"_

"Sure. You have some work to do on my place anyway."

"_Excuse me?"_

"Aside from the hole in my bedroom wall that has _yet_ to be fixed, you left blood on my carpet."

"_Technically that was Emmett."_

"Yeah but the blood would have stayed in his head if you hadn't beat the shit out of him. On my carpet."

She heard him groan.

"_I have to do it tonight?"_

"No." she smiled. "Just get over here with my car."

"_Okay. I'm at the shop. Give me a minute."_

"Good. Just walk in."

He told her he would and when she said her farewell and hung up, Alex was smiling like an idiot as she resumed her lazy position on the couch.

True to his word, Opie arrived a few minutes later with the young woman's car. True he left his bike at the shop but it wasn't like he couldn't get a ride back. Besides, he was still uncomfortable leaving Alex alone overnight.

Like she told him to he walked in and immediately found her asleep on the couch. Alex was lying on her back in the clothes she'd worn to the festival. He found himself surprised to see her fully clothed but smiling at her passed out in ten minutes time. At least that was until he noticed her medicine on the coffee table.

With a sigh, Opie walked over to her and picked her up in his arms as gently as he could. The problem was, it was still too rough for Alex. When he pressed her hurt shoulder to his chest to stabilize her, Alex woke with a start.

"Ow…" she groaned lazily.

"Sorry." He told her quietly, walking down the hall into her room.

He was holding her awkwardly and had no choice but to sit her on the bed butt first and force her to lay down on her left. It was odd, but she fell easily onto the mattress.

"Drugs are fun." She mumbled into her pillow.

Opie smiled crookedly at her drug addled words before pulling off her boots with one swift movement a piece. He hurt her again. When he pulled on her right leg, whether he meant to or not, it forced her muscle to flex. She hissed at the pain.

"Damn Ope." She sighed with a groan. "Stop beating me up."

"It was an accident."

"Yeah well, make it up to me." She said, still lying on her side with her face buried in the pillow. It was a ridiculous way to have a conversation but she didn't seem to care.

"How's that? I'm already fixing your house."

"You're fixing shit you broke." She corrected. "Now get in bed."

Opie stood at the foot of her bed with a brow cocked. Maybe it wasn't meant to sound as provocative as it did, but how the hell else were you supposed to take something like that? Not many women commanded you to get into their bed, despite what some men say.

When he didn't answer of move, Alex tried to pat the empty spot beside her but it was nearly impossible with a busted arm. She groaned and instead used her leg. She barely managed to raise it before plopping it down once where she wanted him to be.

"Get your ass in my bed, now."

This time both brows rose.

"How stoned are you?"

"Not enough to realize you need to be here so you can be my pillow again." She replied.

Opie still didn't move. Finally, Alex rolled onto her back and looked at him staring strangely at her.

"I sleep better when you're here." She told him honestly.

That seemed to be all it took to make Opie's body move. Like he had the night before, the large man went about stripping his cut and jacket, boots too, and every bit of extra shit he wore on his person before crawling into the massive bed beside her. Alex smiled gratefully to the man and moved into his side like she had the night before.

Opie looked down at the young woman curling into his side and felt a genuine smile touch his lips. It happened a lot when she was around.

Alex did sleep better with Opie around. He was big, strong and kept her safe. She could hide within his jacket if she wanted to and would too. Opie on the other hand found it just as relaxing. He felt like it was years ago before the bullshit, before the problems, before everything and as shitty as his life could have been back then, he found the memories of it more of a paradise compared to now. But Alex was helping him relive it, if even for a moment.

Slowly, the large man let himself slip into sleep, Alex beating him to it by about twenty minutes. He welcomed the sleep, especially since Lobos decided to shoot up their Club House because of their bullshit beef with Galindo. Fucking cartels...


	19. Chapter 19

**Oh, I think you guys are going to like this one and especially the next. Yup. Gonna like them. Let me know! I seriously can't say enough bout you guys. :)  
**

Kiss

(Ep. 9)

Opie woke first the following morning, his body stiff but when the saw he young woman curled into him, a smile spread across his lips. He breathed deep, inhaling a bit of her shampoo and the floral scent it gave off before stretching as much as he could with her laced into him. Alex felt the body beneath her tense and her own stiff body ache when it had. Opie noticed her slowly roll over, biting back a yawn as she fell onto her pillow and smiled at him.

"Morning." She said groggily.

"Morning." He answered, finally able to finish his stretching.

Opie groaned when his shoulder popped. Alex smiled, knowing she'd probably sound the same if she could actually move all of her limbs too. As it was, she was unable to do much more than move her left leg without hurting herself. Everything else, every other limb and appendage was beaten in some way and limited her movement.

The large man beside her on the other hand didn't have a problem pushing his arms as high above his head as he could, the same for his legs and feeling the relief of his muscles moving. He seemed to think it funny she couldn't and didn't hesitate to give her a smug smile as he rolled his head towards Alex. Her response was quick and to the point. Without much provocation, Alex smashed the back of her left hand into the man's gut forcing him to grunt.

"Don't be an ass." She told him as he chuckled.

"I didn't say anything."

Alex rolled her eyes at him, pulling her pillow underneath her head to better lie on it. Opie saw her looking at him and met her gaze. They sat silent for a moment or two, the young man looking over her face and happy most of her bruising was lighter than yesterday. Again, Alex knew tricks she shouldn't rightfully know. FYI, warm water, salt and cotton balls were wonderful. Stung like a son of a bitch when it seeped into her cuts, but the fading was irreplaceable.

"So what's going on today?" she asked softly after a moment.

Opie took a deep breath, his expression turning a bit darker than before but lacked any anger. He just looked concerned. She could tell he was doubting whether or not he should say anything to her, the same thing he had been worried about since this shit went down, but figured he might as well.

"How much do you want to know?"

Alex paused and thought about it. People always said they wanted to know everything about everything but when they did, they immediately regretted it. What's the saying, _ignorance is bliss?_ You don't appreciate how true that statement was until you knew more than you wanted to.

Still, she looked at him and thought before coming up with an answer Opie already expected.

"Everything." She replied. She wanted to know what was hurting her brothers, her dad, she wanted to know why her family was at odds. Fuck ignorance, she wanted to know.

Opie seemed to nod to himself, as though steeling his resolve for what he was about to tell her.

"The Niners are moving in, crossing borders. They've got the Lobos behind them." He told her heavily. "That's who came after the Club House yesterday. They already hit a couple of our guys, left their heads in a bag."

"Jesus, Christ." she sighed. "Lobos?"

"Rival cartel."

Alex raised her brow.

"And your coke buddies expect the MC to deal with their business or something?"

"No." he told her, seeing the anger flash in her green eyes. Alex seemed to relax almost immediately. "Galindo's asking us to set up a meet so they can deal with it themselves. MCs just the middle men."

Alex nodded again and did relax a bit more than before. But still there was a disturbingly large amount of things that could go wrong. From the way he made it sound, there was not only going to be a pair of gangs that had perhaps one of the shiest truces around, but more bad guys and guns that had the power of a cartel behind them. Nervous didn't seem to encompass the apprehension she felt.

"It's going to be fine."

She looked up, unaware her eyes had drifted the deeper she sank into thought, and noticed Opie looking at her. Alex let a smile twitch but it was little more than that.

"Yeah. I'm sure it will be, but just in case."

His brows pulled together when Alex struggled to get off the edge of the bed. He was about to say something but she stood up anyway and began to gimp towards the dresser. It wasn't far, maybe six feet, and she had the bed to use for stability most of the way so she was fine.

When she reached it, Alex crept towards a box resting on the edge and opened the top. It didn't take long for Opie to realize it was a jewelry box, hearing the metal inside clank around as she flipped pieces out of the way searching for something in particular. After a second or two, she pulled out a large chunk of gold he recognized as a ring.

"Here." She said, turning and tossing it to the man.

Opie caught it with his stomach, picking up the trinket and examining it. It was a large ring like most of the men in the Club wore with a massive skull as the centerpiece. It was impressive with its size and weight and old to boot.

As Opie turned it around in his hand he noticed writing on the interior. His eyes narrowed as he read. _Strength, Loyalty, Family. T.W_. Slowly his gaze moved to the young woman leaning against her dresser staring warmly at the ring.

"This your dads?" he asked, holding up the piece.

Alex nodded.

"Yeah. His favorite. I managed to smuggle a few pieces away after he died so Emmett couldn't pawn them. That one's from my mom."

"I can't take this." He told her, setting it down on the bedside table.

"Then borrow it." She said. "For good luck."

The sweet smile on her lips forced him to do the same and shake his head. There was no point arguing with Alex. You learn that fact pretty early on when you meet her. One way or another, she's going to get her way.

Without another word, Opie grabbed the ring and slid it onto his right middle finger beside the other massive pieces he owned.

"That work?" he asked, flipping her off to show her.

"Because you put the ring on, I'm not going to kick your ass for flipping me the bird." She told him with a sly smile.

"You can't even stand." He teased, getting up and out of bed. "Not really making me shake with fear."

Alex responded with a punch to his arm that lacked most of the strength he knew she had. He chuckled.

"I think I'm going to head out. I need to stop by the Club House and take a shower, maybe finally change my fucking clothes."

"Good. You smell like biker ass."

Alex giggled while Opie shook his head and fought the urge to say something back. He could easily tell her it was because he didn't want to let her out of his sight, but decided against it. Instead, he walked back to the bed and sat to pull on his shoes.

As Alex stayed in her spot by the dresser, she found herself slipping into deep thought. She couldn't help it. There were pressing questions that had been plaguing her since she'd come home the night before, but she wasn't sure when the right time to ask might be. Figuring it was now or never, she spoke up.

"Hey Opie, can I ask you something?"

"Sure." He replied, not looking up as he tied his last shoe on.

"Where's Emmett?"

Opie's motions stopped abruptly. He hesitated to look up to see her, but did eventually. Alex hadn't moved from her spot, not that he'd expect her too, but was watching him intently; waiting for any answer he could give her. Truth be told, he didn't want to.

"Why?" he asked as though he wasn't as taken aback as he was, tightening the final knot on his boot.

"Because I'm curious." She replied.

Opie stood, brushing off his jeans and reaching for his wallet. She watched as he put it in his pocket, attached all of his chains and still averted her eyes.

"I have the right to know Ope."

"Why?" he snapped before he could stop himself, his head shooting up to look sternly at the young woman. "He's a piece of shit. What's it matter?"

"He still alive?"

Hesitantly Opie nodded.

"Then where is he?"

He growled internally, wanting nothing more than to drop the subject but again knew how pointless it was with Alex.

"Bobby had him brought up to the barn." He reluctantly replied.

"He's been there the last three days?"

Opie nodded slowly. Alex broke her eye contact with the man and went back to thinking. She didn't know what the guys had planned for the day or how long this thing with the Niners would last.

"I have a favor to ask."

Opie's eyes narrowed briefly. He was worried about what the hell she might want from him, especially where the current line of questioning was heading.

"Yeah?" he asked gruffly.

"You think Clay would let me borrow Happy for a while?"

There was a glint in her eyes, a deadly light that he hadn't seen before and it refused to let him go. Opie's head tilted marginally to the side.

"Got plans?" he asked, cocking a brow.

Alex shrugged playfully, a smile forming on her lips this time to match the mayhem in her eyes.

"Just a little reunion. That's all."

With a sigh, Opie heaved himself up from the bed and walked over to the young woman, smiling down at her. Alex tried to look as innocent as possible but he wasn't fooled. He knew there was evil inside her that only came out when someone hurt her or her family.

"I'll run it by Clay."

"That's all I ask." She smiled.

"Yeah," he scoffed before glancing down at her leg. "You think you can give me a ride to the shop?"

Alex growled under her breath and reluctantly shook her head. Her toe was the only thing touching her carpeted floor, her leg unable to support her weight without some relief. She knew constantly pushing the pedals up and down in her car would be nearly impossible.

"Probably not." She mumbled dejectedly. "Think of this shit as me twisting up my knee real good. The best I can manage is standing."

Opie let a weak smile show itself and nodded heavily.

"I'll call one of the guys and have them come and get me."

"Just take my car." She replied, rolling her eyes at the man. "Not like you haven't already."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. I'm going to call a cab to take me into town anyway, run some errands while I have the time."

Opie narrowed his eyes on her lightly.

"You're not stopping by the hardware store are you?"

"Why? Do you think we'll need a tarp or something?" she teased forcing him to grin.

He shared her laugh before wrapping his arms around her.

"Come here." He whispered softly as he hugged her close.

Like every other time he hugged her, Alex sank into it. She was encompassed entirely in the man's massive arms and wanted nothing more than to fall back asleep or remain there indefinitely. Opie felt the same. He was calmer like this, finding it possible to shut up everything that coursed through his brain on a regular basis from shit with the Club to his family and Lyla. He took a breath and held her as firmly as he could, staring at the mirror behind her and examining their reflection. He didn't know why, but it was right there.

"Be safe." He said before he could stop himself.

Alex nodded into his shirt.

"I'm serious Alex."

Her brows came together at the curious tone in his voice, an edge that shouldn't be there. Apprehensively, she pulled back enough to look up and see Opie staring worriedly down at her. His eyes were heavy with a dread she didn't understand. In that brief moment, he looked just like Piney, carrying the weight of the world and all the people in it on his shoulders.

"I will." She said softly, nodding to the man gradually. "I will."

He could tell she was confused by the intensity in his eyes but he couldn't help it. He worried about her, a lot lately it seemed despite the threat bound and gagged in the hayloft of the barn.

Eventually, his hand came up on its own and cupped her cheek. Her brows pulled together so tightly it hurt at his curious behavior. Before he could stop himself, Opie said something he had partially wanted to keep internal. The images of the other day, her laying bloodied and beaten on the floor of her garage, her lying on the bar top at the Club House, the fear in her eyes, all of it was burned into his memories and he hated it. He hated the feelings they brought up, the fear and worry. He didn't want anything to happen to her. Honestly, Opie wasn't sure what he'd do if something actually did and he wasn't there to save her. He had known her all of Alex's life. People don't realize how much that can bond you to someone, knowing them the entire time they've been breathing on this Earth and the other day had been too fucking close for his liking.

"I don't want to lose you." He whispered.

"You won't." she told him quickly. "I'm not going anywhere, okay? Besides," she smiled sweetly. "You saved my life. I kind of owe you."

Opie's brows finally seemed to relax. He didn't smile, a bit unsure of whether or not he could, but his face wasn't as tense as before which made Alex feel better.

"I'll be fine." She reaffirmed, with a stronger voice than before. "Promise. I'm just going to pick a few things up."

"Okay." He said leaning forward and kissing her forehead.

Opie lingered like he had a few times before, letting his lips stay on her warm skin before reluctantly pulling away. Her forehead was a poor substitute to her lips, but he didn't want to voice why he'd kissed them in the first place. A part of him, no matter how small, thought she wouldn't make it through the night and he didn't want to wonder what it was like, even if she wasn't aware enough to kiss him back. When he finally pulled back from her, it wasn't that he wanted to necessarily; it was the ringing cell phone that broke the moment.

With a hesitant move, Opie reached into his pocket and pulled out the phone he hadn't removed last night.

"Yeah?" he answered. He looked down at the young woman he hadn't let go of as Jax told him to meet the guys at the Club House in an hour. "Yeah. I'll be there man."

Without saying goodbye, he hung up, sliding the silver phone back into his pocket.

"I have to go." He told her.

Alex nodded slowly.

"Good. You need to shower." She teased.

Opie glowered temporarily but hugged her again just the same before leaving and taking her car.

Alex found herself remaining against the dresser and thinking again. She tried to force the butterflies down in her stomach that only Opie seemed to bring out before gathering her things to get ready for the day. She didn't have a lot planned but wanted to buy a couple things. Like, for example, a new damn cane.

She still had a little bit of money, a few thousand dollars that she had put into a savings account from the sale of her father's house. There wasn't much she had managed to keep hidden from Emmett before they got married, but this was one of those things. The house didn't sell for a lot because Charming wasn't much better than a middle class town. People here worked their whole lives and save for a select few, never broke into the six figures so the house sold for a mere seventy thousand. Okay, so maybe a few thousand dollars was an understatement but when she had spent a decent amount of it through the years paying for things she needed in secret, you'd be surprised how fast it went. Especially when she wasn't allowed to work.

So she had a bit of money saved away giving her the cash she needed and let her spend time healing before finding a job. She was smarter than Emmett thought and knew if she ever did finally get away from the man, she would have to have something of her own because she'd leave with nothing.

~~~!~~~

Alex had opted to leave the sling at home. It wasn't that she didn't need it, she did very much so, but went for something more… attractive. She had a shawl she'd picked up years ago, a soft material that would make silk jealous and beautifully woven with subtle details you had to be close to see. It was a pale gray and just the right size. She'd been apprehensive about tying a knot in the corners, but did so regardless. It was pretty, comfortable and infinitely better than that horrible scratchy white and blue synthetic crap Tara had given her. Despite being grateful for it, she wasn't planning to keep it.

The bell to the shop door chimed again when she exited and walked to the cab with her 'brand new' cane. It was awesome and made her feel cooler than she really was. It was a jet black lacquered wood, nice and shiny, with a silver tip at the bottom and a wolf's head at the top. The man in the antique shop that sold it to her told it the cane was a classic and a piece anyone would be proud to own. Alex knew she was.

There was a show she loved when she was a kid, a soap opera of sorts where the main character was a vampire that came back to help his living family. He carried a cane like this, intimidating and definitely a show stopper. The show may have been cheesy, but that cane stuck with her and what the hell, right? If she needed one, why not get the coolest one she could find?

Alex told the cabby to take her to Teller-Marrow. If anything she knew she could keep herself busy for a little while. She knew she didn't want to go home. Alex couldn't stand long enough to wash off the blood in her garage. She couldn't fix the hole in the wall or scrub up what was on the carpet either. Despite being more than willing to just to keep busy instead of waiting for Opie to do it, even though she knew he would, she wasn't physically capable yet. Eventually.

After paying the man and letting him leave, she started the slow trek into the Club House, waving to a few of the random bikers that only dreamed of being a Son and their old ladies before walking through the door. It was amazing how many people always seemed to hang around this place, even with no reason.

"Hey Alex." Chuckie chimed when she walked into the bar.

"Hi." She smiled, noticing him glancing at her setup. He'd seen her beforehand, before the clean up and the clothes. He knew what they were hiding. "The boys out?"

"Uh yeah," he said quickly, snapping too as she took a seat in a chair instead of at the bar. "Can I get you some coffee or something?"

"Yeah sure, thanks."

He nodded and shuffled off into the kitchen while Alex searched through her purse for the pills Tara had given her. It was right about time she took them anyway.

"Here you go."

Alex glanced up and smiled at the man as he handed her the mug before catching sight of the board behind him. The wall that held the pictures of all the members was restored to the way it used to be, but something was different. The photo of Miles was turned upside down in disgrace. Her brows came together.

"What'd Miles do?" she asked.

Chuckie glanced behind him and sighed.

"Oh, him." He muttered. "He's dead."

Alex's eyes went wide.

"Wha… how?"

"Juice caught him stealing something and shot him."

"Oh my god."

"Yeah." Chuckie nodded a few times before moving off to do something else around the Club House.

Alex sat for a moment thinking about what Miles could have possibly done. He didn't seem like that kind of person, but then again she didn't really know him either.

Trying to push the thought down, Alex took her medicine and sipped on her coffee. At some point, she'd text Opie and told him she was at the bar, not home, so he wouldn't freak out if he stopped by. She didn't want to worry the guy, not after this morning.

She didn't know how much time passed before a bike met her ears. Alex looked up from the game she was playing on her phone to see Tig come walking in. He smiled wide to her.

"How you feeling sweetheart?" he asked, coming to her side quickly and kissing the top of her head.

"Better than yesterday." She answered honestly, looking the man up and down. Something was 'off'. "What's with you?"

"Got a surprise for you." He said, still smiling like a damn kid.

"Okay… and what's that?"

"Nope. It's a show not tell." He replied, pulling her chair out with her in it. "Come on. I'll give you a lift."

"Where are we going?" she asked apprehensively as she stood, Tig grabbing her purse.

"It's a surprise." He repeated before catching sight of her walking tool. "Nice cane."

Alex laughed to herself and shook her head as they walked into the parking lot and to her car. Opie left it behind when he took his bike like she assumed he would.

Tig opened her door for her and closed it when she made her way into the passenger seat. Like Opie had the day before, he slid into the driver's seat and flipped down the visor for the keys. If people weren't so scared of SAMCRO, she'd be worried someone would take the damn thing. But, unlike last time, Tig pulled out a blindfold. Alex cocked a brow.

"Really?" she asked under her breath.

"Yeah." He nodded like it was obvious. "No peeking."

"Jesus Christ." She sighed, snatching the thing from his hands and putting it on. "Remind me to kick the shit out of whoever suggested this."

"I said we should have used a bag." Tig teased, starting up her car. "But the guys said you might shoot someone."

"That's a pretty safe bet."

She heard him laugh as he pulled out of the parking lot.

They drove for a while, stopping at lights and so forth, but she had no clue where they were heading. Even if she asked him, Tig would say nothing more than he already had which wasn't much. Her patience was growing thinner by the second and if she didn't get out of the damn car soon, she was going to start stabbing the man in the leg with the cane.

After about twenty or thirty minutes the car began to slow. Alex tried to hear anything through the open window but Tig had the radio on for that reason. He didn't want her cheating, trusting she hadn't already peeked through the blindfold.

He parked and shut the car off, stepping out and quickly moved to her side. Alex heard her door open as she unlaced her seatbelt. When she reached for her blindfold Tig scolded her. She openly cussed at the man. He wasn't put off by it as he helped her out of the car and gently took her slinged arm in his and led her across uneven terrain.

"God damn it." She hissed when her foot landed partially in a hole. "Thought you were supposed to be my eyes Tiggy?"

"Sorry darling." He told her honestly. "Ten more feet."

Cussing under her breath Alex walked with him until he told her to stop. The air felt different. It was hard to explain, but if you have ever been sitting in a room and someone else walks in behind you, you know the feeling. Some times the air itself just shifts and that's what happened this time. It was suddenly still and stale, the smell of wood, oil and moldy something touching her nose.

"Where the hell am I?" she asked shortly.

"Go ahead and take off the blindfold honey." A new voice told her.

"Bobby?" Alex asked confused.

She tugged the blindfold up and over her head, surprised by what she saw. Half the Club stood in a semi-circle in front of her. Happy, Chibs, Bobby, Tig, Opie and Jax all stood in front of her, some leaning on hardware and they were all smiling. She recognized her surroundings now. They were at the barn.

"Why uh… why am I here?" she asked skeptically.

"We got ya a lil' prezzie." Chibs chuckled.

Still wearing a grin, Opie pushed himself off the stack of wood he'd been leaning against and walked towards the center of the giant room. Happy and the others stepped aside revealing a man, limp and bloody, hanging from a chain suspended high from the rafters. Without explaining, Opie yanked the bag off the man's head and tossed it aside. Emmett looked groggily around, duct tape firmly secured over his mouth as Opie walked towards Alex again.

He loomed over her like he did with just about everyone, smiling warmly. It forced her to do the same. His hand came up and gently touched her cheek, rubbing his thumb along her bruised cheekbone before moving behind her and gently setting a hand on her good shoulder, giving her a view of the man on the chain. She stared at her husband while Opie leaned down, closer to her ear than before.

"Let's put this shit to bed." He told her.

Alex found herself nodding, a vindictive smile touching her lips as Emmett looked horrified at the array of 'toys' Happy had set to the side.

"Oh this is going to be fun." She sneered.

**Gold star if you can guess the soap opera!**


	20. Chapter 20

**And here it is ladies and gents! The fun part! I love you guys, seriously. :) You're comments always make updating so much fun and make me anxious to see what you think. Now, since I've been updating around three chapters a day, I've got to slow it down a little or I'm going to go too far ahead of myself and it'll take too long to catch back up. So, it'll only be one a day. I've got a few chapters in the bank right now that should tied me and you guys over, but just one a day. Sorry, but it'll help with suspense! :)**

**Enjoy!  
**

Kiss

Pt. 2

Alex was many things. She was loyal, passionate, loving. She was a sister, a daughter, a friend. She was smart, witty, and adventurous, a hell of a cook and in high school had even been part of the volleyball team, for about a week until she broke a girl's nose with a spiked ball on purpose. Allegedly. She was a former inmate, a troubled child, broken on the inside and a greeter at Wal-Mart for a summer when she turned eighteen. But of all the things Alex was, had been or planned to be, she was never cruel. Cruelty in her mind amounted to nothing more than a blackened soul.

Now don't misunderstand. There's a difference between being violent and cruel. Violence was a way of life. There was no way around it; everything in nature was violent at least once in its life. The only thing that changed was the circumstances around the event. But cruelty was another issue entirely. Cruelty was taking joy in an innocent's suffering. It was kicking puppies or a blind kid. It was unnecessary and uncalled for.

Emmett was cruel. Granted Alex wasn't anywhere near innocent, but she didn't deserve the things he'd done to her. No one did, but something came of it.

He made Alex cruel too.

The young woman walked up to the man hanging from the chain as best she could, relying more on her cane than she wanted to in front of him, but her eyes were steeled. The room around them had gone silent, every eye in the barn watching the two.

Alex cocked a brow to the man with the dried blood on his face, his nose bent to an odd angle and the duct tape across his mouth. The blood was beneath it which meant Happy hadn't touched him yet. Everything left behind was from Opie and it made her smile.

Emmett growled through the gag and lunged for her. Alex stepped back and almost fell when she had. It was instinct when someone moved suddenly, to step away from it, but she had stepped back on her dominant foot and immediately felt the hurt of it. Happy was there in an instant, backhanding Emmett and forcing him to grunt in pain.

"Don't fucking move." He told their captive sternly. When he stepped away, he smiled to Alex and nodded, telling her silently he had her back.

"Thanks Hap." She replied, her eyes shifting back to Emmett.

She regained her footing and felt her eyes move over the man in front of her. A grimace began to form across her features.

"You're pathetic, you know that?" she asked with a sigh, her voice filled with uncaring. Emmett's glare deepened. "Really, you are. You couldn't even kill me right."

He struggled against the cuffs digging into his wrists for a moment and did little more than divert her gaze for a second. Alex looked down at the cane in her hand, twisting it between her fingers, looping it around her knuckles before letting it fall again. Her eyes met his again.

"You want to know something?" she asked, not expecting an answer. "I faked it, every time."

There were chuckles from behind which seemed to be what pissed Emmett off the most, that she was insulting his masculinity in front of men. He lunged for her again but this time Alex reacted first.

She swung the end of the cane around and landed the fiercest blow she could manage with her left hand, satisfied to see the wolf's ears had cut him across the cheek. Emmett shot and angry look but it didn't frighten her as much as she thought it would. But she wasn't done yet.

With a flourished movement that resembled a bull fighter with a cape, Alex spun around on her good leg; her cane extended and brought it around. Without hesitation, she slammed it into the man's nuts and even let it linger for a moment before pulling it back. Whether she was at her strongest or not, the 'thwack' it made had the desired effect.

A roaring round of applause filled the barn. A few of the men behind her whistled, some laughed, but Chibs chanting how beautiful the action was made her smile the widest. Ordinarily the strike might have made them squirm, but at the sight of Alex doing it to a prick like Emmett, they felt nothing but pride.

"Happy?"

"Yeah?"

Alex took a few steps back and steadied herself again as she looked at the smiling Mexican.

"You're turn."

His smile turned evil, curling at the edges of his mouth as his nearly black eyes shifted to the man on the chain. He reached over and grabbed a pair of rusted pliers before turning the frightening gaze back to Emmett.

"Oh, yes ma'am." He said almost giddily.

Alex slowly made her way back to the others to watch what was about to transpire. Happy didn't use them on Emmett. Instead he grabbed a torch and held it to the end of the pliers. He waited until they turned a brilliant red and didn't hesitate to press them to the man's arm.

Emmett cried out in pain as the skin just below the cuffs sizzled and popped. The breathing through his broken nose was wheezing, difficult and sputtered when Happy pulled the metal away. Emmett panted, his head falling forward as he tried to ebb the fierce pain. Happy, on the other hand, secured the chunk of fabric around the pliers handles again before reigniting the blowtorch.

"You sure you're okay with this?"

Alex turned to see over her shoulder and noticed Opie was the one that had spoken. She nodded to him, her eyes moving back to Emmett as Happy pressed the pliers to his other wrist. The placement was strategic, ensuring the man wouldn't flail or move too much for fear of grinding the metal handcuffs into the open wounds.

As she watched, Alex felt a hand grab her shirt and begin to pull her back. She stepped as gingerly as she could before her back hit the massive barrel chest of the tallest man in the room. She saw Opie's arm come over her left shoulder, his thumb hooking into her brace as he held her to him. Alex put her good arm on his and kept her eyes glued to Happy's work.

The two were ignorant to eyes fallen on them, both enthralled with watching the crazy man work. Jax seemed to see them first and elbowed Bobby. They smiled and slowly helped draw attention to the couple. The blond man couldn't help himself as he reached into his pocket and snapped a picture with his phone, sending it to Tara just so she could muse over it too.

About twenty minutes had passed and to Emmett's credit, he hadn't passed out. Yet. Happy was still working on it valiantly. Jax told the others he had to head out and go home to see Tara and the boys. He said his farewells, hugging Alex tightly and kissing her forehead despite the difficulty doing it. Opie still hadn't let go of her.

After slicing through the man's thigh with an impressive hunting knife of his own, Happy stepped aside and took a drink from a beer he had near his increasingly dirtying tools. He stared indifferently at the man hanging while Emmett actually began to cry. He truly was pathetic.

"Hey Hap." Alex called after remaining silent for a while.

"Yes ma'am?"

It was so odd someone so disturbed could be that polite. But he was. With everything said and done, Happy was a good guy, just unbalanced. He was fiercely loyal and punished betrayers and so forth with extreme prodigious.

"Before he passes out, do me a favor will you?" she asked, her eyes remaining on the man who had not met her eyes once since Opie wrapped a protective arm around her. "Make sure you get him just like he got me."

Happy didn't understand, but a couple of the others did. Opie tensed his arm around Alex's shoulder, Bobby sighing and shaking his head while Chibs and Tig listened.

"Stab him in the leg and the shoulder. Be sure to hit bone on that one." She instructed, her voice sounding eerily chipper. "And then put three in his chest."

"You got it." He agreed without question.

Grabbing his hunting knife again, Happy moved to the hanging man and didn't hesitate to bury the knife deeply into Emmett's leg. He screamed loudly through the duct tape. Happy pulled the blade out with a sickening pop before repeating the action in Emmett's shoulder. This time he twisted.

A few of the men watching smiled again when Emmett began to cry. It was funny to them and they didn't hide their snickers and chuckles.

Seemingly having his fun, Happy reached into his waist band and pulled out his gun. He checked for ammunition before taking aim.

"Wait." She said quickly.

The men shifted to see the young woman step forward and out of Opie's grip. They watched curiously as she approached the man with the gun. Her eyes were still glued to Emmett. She hadn't been able to look away from him yet. Alex couldn't help but wonder if he was afraid like she was, if it hurt as bad as when he did it to her. She hoped it did. No, she _prayed_ it did.

"May I?" she asked Happy.

Alex held out her hand to the man, requesting his gun. He nodded and handed it to her. The Sons behind her stiffened and moved a bit closer, watching nervously as she took the weapon from the man. She didn't notice.

Holding the gun awkwardly in her left hand, Alex made a decision she would easily regret later. Sliding her injured arm out of the sling, Alex took her aim. She winced and fought back the stinging tears pulling her cut caused. She wanted this to count and she wanted to be the one to do it. When she finally steadied her wavering grip, her right elbow propped against her stomach so she wouldn't raise it to high, she took a calming breath.

"You beat the shit out of me everyday for five and a half years and you made me afraid to wake up in the morning." She said in a calm but shaking voice. "I hope you fucking burn in Hell."

Three shots echoed through the bar, shell casing clanking against the ground and Alex cried out. She screamed from the force behind the weapon and retracted her arm to her body. Alex could shoot and had. Hell, she owned a couple guns with a lot more kick than a 9 mm handgun, but she was still hurt. The cut was three days old and she knew she shouldn't have done it, the recoil and vibrations that came with firing a gun were too much.

When Alex cried out she dropped the gun, spinning on her heel a bit and bent over to hold her arm to her body. She took in one steady breath after another and fought back the tears. Happy stepped forward and grabbed his gun, Opie taking hold of Alex.

Emmett hung limply from the chain now, blood pouring from the bullet wounds. He was still alive. They could all hear him gurgling from the holes she put through his lungs. The man was choking on his own blood, essentially drowning and no one cared. They were more concerned with Alex's wellbeing than the man dying ten feet away.

Alex looked up as Opie guided her arm back into her sling. Her eyes were glassy but he knew it wasn't from the man she shot.

"How's your arm?" he asked.

Alex cocked a brow to the man.

"Really?" she asked sarcastically.

"You're the one dumb enough to shoot the dick." He countered.

She smiled and shook her head.

"Come on. I'll take you home." He told her, putting a hand on her good shoulder and walking towards the group again. "Tig, you got her keys?"

"Yeah man." He replied, digging into his pocket and pulling them out. "Want me to take your bike back to the shop?"

Opie nodded and let the guys come up and say their goodnights and goodbyes, muttering how proud they were of her for finally doing it. She thanked them, gave them all a kiss on the cheek before turning and walking towards the car in the distance.

"Thanks man." Opie told Tig.

He let Alex walk a step or two ahead of him before doing something the others only partially expected. Opie reached into the back of his waistband and pulled out his own gun. Without waiting, he spun around and fired. The back of Emmett's head splattered across the hay covered ground behind him, the body going limp. Still silent, Opie put his gun away and joined Alex's side. He wanted to have his bit, to ultimately kill the man that hurt his Alex, and he did. He wasn't good at torture, not like Happy at least, but he could fire a gun.

Opie followed Alex to her car and let her get in. Six more shots echoed in the background when Opie started up the car. He felt himself smile internally; knowing that by dawn Emmett would be either burned into nothing or buried in a hole in the middle of nowhere. At least now the son of a bitch wouldn't hurt her again.

Alex rode in silence, staring out the window as they wove through cars on the freeway. There was almost no one on the road. It wasn't that it was a late hour, but Charming only had a few thousand people in it, most of which were either middle aged or older. So yeah, maybe nine o'clock was late at night.

She found herself thinking about everything that had transpired in the passed hour, the last day, even the last few years. Emmett had dominated her whole being whether she was awake or asleep and now he was gone. She didn't feel guilty. No, guilt implied she felt remorse for what she'd done and how can you feel bad for someone that repeatedly hurt you. But she did feel something, she just didn't know what. then it donned on her.

Lost. Alex felt lost.

It was stupid to think about and even more so to say out loud so she wouldn't, but Alex felt lost. She met Emmett when she was about twenty-three. She was going to be thirty in about a month and a half, so seven years he'd been in her life. The two years they dated and so forth, he was great, kind, warm and giving. The guys loved him from what she could tell. Considering they didn't whoop his ass meant he was alright by them. Then, when they got married everything changed.

For just over five years he tormented her, tortured her daily it seemed and haunted her dreams while she slept. For years he was the only thing in her world, dominating it completely to the point he pushed out her loved ones and now he was gone. The thought seemed so far fetched she was having trouble believing it.

Opie pulled the car into the driveway and threw it into park before getting out. Alex snapped to when the car lurched and instead of waiting for the man, she got out on her own. He made it to her side of the car by the time Alex had already stood making him more or less useless. Still he closed the door behind her and followed her into the house, Alex having her spare set of keys from earlier.

"Need anything?" Opie asked, seeing the pain still marring her face.

"Stop fussing Ope, Jesus." Alex sighed, a bit annoyed.

Opie's brows came together.

"Something wrong?" he asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"No, it's just…" she paused and thought about how to phrase what she was thinking. She wasn't mad at anything in particular, but there was still a swell of foreign emotions running through her she didn't know how to deal with so they came out as snippy. "You don't have to keep doing stuff for me, okay? I'm able bodied… sort of."

She hated being waited on and treated with kid gloves. She knew it meant he cared and was wanting to help but having people constantly wanting to do things for her and wanting to out of any form of love was foreign. It'd been too long since she'd been around something healthy like that and she wasn't sure how to take it. SAMCRO... healthy... wow...

"No." Opie suddenly said.

Alex looked at the man as he fell onto the couch beside her. He glanced around the room and leisurely ran his hand down his beard like he didn't have a care in the world. When his eyes came back to Alex he could see the confusion on her face.

"Huh?"

"I said no." he repeated. Her brows came up. "I ain't going anywhere. Deal with it."

A childish smile tugged at the corner of his lips that made Alex scoff a laugh.

"But I don't even like you." She teased, shoving him lightly with her left arm. "You've got cooties."

Opie laughed and grabbed her, pulling her over and hugging her as tightly as he dared.

"No! I can feel them crawling on me!" she laughed, wiggling weakly. Suddenly she stopped. "Wait. It's probably just the crabs from that porn gash."

Opie growled and pushed her off of him. Alex was giggling like a kid as he stood, still glowering at her.

"Just for that, I'm going home tonight." He said, turning his back to her and moving towards the door.

"Wait," Alex said quickly. "Opie don't leave."

He paused and looked over his shoulder.

"Look, I'm sorry. Okay?"

He released the door knob and nodded slowly. He beamed with internal pride at getting her to back down like he had as he walked back to the couch and sat. Alex eyed him.

"You don't have to be such a bitch about it."

"What?" he snapped when Alex burst out into snorting laughter.

He poked her while she smiled, the two suddenly turning into the same idiotic sixteen year olds they used to be, one trying to up the other. Eventually, fearing he'd hurt her, Opie stopped and relaxed into the couch. Alex threw her legs up and rested them across his lap.

"Wait, who's got Kenny and Elle?" Alex suddenly asked, amazed and horrified she hadn't thought about it yet.

"They're spending some time with Mary." he said, not willing to tell her Lyla had left the other day.

She slowly nodded her understanding before another question moved through her brain.

"So, you still going to stay the night?" she asked after a moment of silence.

"If you want me to."

Alex nodded with a weak smile. Opie grinned to himself, dropping a hand onto her legs. This was comfortable. This was familiar. And this made both of them happy. The pair on the couch was blissfully ignorant to everything outside Alex's house, and even if it would all come crashing down around them soon, they were happy now.


	21. Chapter 21

**Simone, 3nigma, you get gold stars! Yup, Dark Shadows is the show with the awesome cane. Anyone who doesn't know what I'm talking about, just look up screen shots or whatever you can. The cane's pretty nifty! :) So, let me know what you guys think! ~Enjoy!  
**

Hands

Ep. 10

Opie had to go to the Club House that morning. He told Alex he'd be around later and she smiled, nodded and kissed him on the cheek when he left. She knew he would but it wasn't until she made to the room to change she realized how odd the whole situation was becoming.

"Jesus Christ we're like a couple." She sighed to herself, shaking her head at the strange situation she found herself in when her cell phone rang.

Alex made her way to it as fast as she could and answered quickly.

"Yeah?" she asked, sitting on her bed to keep from hurting herself further.

"_Hey Alex. How you doing?"_ Jax asked happily on the other end of the line.

"I'm fine." She smiled, neglecting to tell him she had a nightmare or two in the middle of the night of Emmett coming out of the ground like a god damn zombie, wanting to finish what he started. She scared the hell out of Opie a couple times too. "What's up?"

"_Just calling to see if you're awake. You think it's cool if me and Tara stop by with the boys for a minute?"_

"Uh, yeah. I guess." She replied, uncertain why he would be asking in the first place. "Yeah. I'll be here. I can't drive anywhere anyway."

"_See you in a few minutes then."_

"Yeah, sure. Bye Jackie."

"_Bye darling."_

Alex hung up the phone but found herself staring at it for a couple of minutes. It wasn't strange that Jax was asking to stop by or anything, but it was odd he'd have Tara and the boys. But pushing the strange, foreboding feeling down, Alex grabbed a pair of sweatpants to put on over her shorty shorts. She didn't need half of her ass hanging out around the children.

About ten minutes later there was a knock on the door. Alex called for them to come in, making it to the end of the hall by the time Jax and Tara walked through the door. Abel all but ran for Alex, plowing into her legs to hug her and smashing his face into her cut.

Alex bit back the immediate pain that surged through her body, almost wishing she only had to deal with her side again when she fell backwards into the wall. Alex slammed her eyes shut from the sensation while Tara tried to get Abel to stop. Jax sucked in a sharp breath at Alex's extremely pained expression, unable to do anything with Thomas in his hands.

"Abel sweetie, come on. Let's go into the living room okay?" she said softly, taking her son and leading him away. "Sorry."

"Don't be." She said with a sigh. "He's a kid."

"You doin' alright?" Jax asked with a light laugh as Alex hobbled into the living room.

He received a sharp glare in response, Alex's cheeks flush from the rush of blood.

"So," she said, sitting on a chair since it was the closest. "What are you guys up to?"

Neither Jax nor Tara spoke for a moment, glancing back and forth before it caught the young woman's attention. Alex could see the apprehension in their faces and it made her nervous.

"What?" she asked evenly.

They seemed to be having their own internal conversation, Jax giving Tara a reassuring nod. She took a breath and looked back to Alex with a heavy smile.

"I took your advice." She said.

"About what?" Alex asked confused.

Jax was the one that moved now, looking down at the infant in the man's lap.

"We're heading out." He said.

Alex felt her head move ever so slightly to the side, her vision of the four across her from her tilting as her brain tried to catch up and make sense of what she was hearing.

"Where?" was about all Alex could muster.

"Tara's taking the boys to Oregon." Jax replied, looking up at her again. "She got offered a job at a bigger hospital so she'd gonna get settled up there and when this shit with Galindo's done, I'm going too."

This time Alex's eyes went wide. She felt her mouth slack, but it wasn't her fault. Everything sort of stopped working for a moment. She knew she had the 'deer in the headlights' look on her face and probably looked ridiculous, but judging by their combined expressions, Jax and Tara thought she was going to explode.

"Good." Alex squeaked. She cleared her throat and forced a smile when she realized she hadn't said anything for a few minutes. "Good. I'm happy for you guys."

Both adults stared at her as though she'd told them they won a million dollars. Pure shock touched their faces. Honestly, both of them had expected Alex to go off, to demand to know why, to tell them they should stay, but she hadn't. She took it in stride… like an adult… weird.

"I guess you're leaving today then?" Alex asked with a knot in her throat. Suddenly the phone call made sense.

"Yeah. We're heading out now, but I wanted to come say bye since you can't drive for a while." Jax said.

Alex nodded, biting the inside of her cheek. She didn't remember the last time she'd felt so uncomfortable and out of place. Across from her was the perfect family unit, at least as perfect as SAMCRO could produce, and they were moving on. She was happy for them but a bit jealous too. Maybe that's where the awkwardness was coming from. She was jealous.

"Well I'm glad you did." She said.

The silence between each person speaking was just long enough to let Tara and Jax know she was apprehensive about this. Jax knew what to do. He shifted in his seat on the couch's armrest and looked to Tara.

"Hey babe, can you do me a favor and change him? Give me a second with Alex?"

"Yeah, of course." She said, letting Abel play with a toy as she took Thomas from his daddy.

With a parting smile and kiss to Jax, Tara took the baby into the back room without bothering to grab the diaper bag. If they were trying to be discrete, it didn't work. Alex watched as the doctor walked down the hall and out of sight before looking back at Jax. He leaned forward resting his elbows on his knees, his expression serious.

"What's wrong?" he asked honestly.

"Nothing. I'm happy for you guys." She said with a forced smile.

Jax shook his head, his eyes still locked with hers.

"This got anything to do with yesterday?"

Her eyes narrowed, brows pulling together in confusion until she realized he meant Emmett. She sighed and rolled her eyes almost immediately.

"God no." she replied, shaking her head. "No, I'm not worried about that."

"Well, Hap took care of it if you're wondering." He said with a smirk. Alex nodded loftily but didn't speak further. Jax's smile faded. "Come on darlin', what's wrong with you?"

"Nothing Jackie, really." She sighed. "I'm just going to miss you is all."

His smile returned and widened into a doofy grin. Alex rolled her eyes again, immediately feeling stupid for saying anything at all.

"Aw!" he teased, delighting in the blush on her cheeks. "You're gonna miss me?"

Alex responded by kicking him lightly with her good leg. Jax chuckled.

"I hate you Teller."

"Oh come on. I'm just fucking with you."

"I know." Alex replied in a softer voice. She looked down at her lap, resting her head in her propped up arm. "But I am going to miss you guys."

Jax leaned forward enough to put his hands on Alex's knees. She looked up to see him kneeling down in front of her smiling warmly. It forced her to do the same.

"I am happy for you guys." She told him again, meaning it entirely. "You finally get to have a life with your boys, a real one like we didn't get."

He laughed lightly and nodded.

"No shit. Maybe they won't end us as fucked as we did."

"You kidding? They were screwed the moment you became their daddy."

"Fucking smart ass." He laughed, shaking his head at her.

"You love me." She teased.

"Yeah," Jax sighed. "Still don't know why though."

"It's cause I'm awesome. Comes with the territory."

Jax shook his head at her again, unable to believe how ridiculous she was being and finding out he missed it more than he thought.

"Come here." Jax said.

He stood, helping Alex do the same and hugged her tightly. She wrapped her good arm around the man and buried her face into his shirt, the smile gone at the thought of him leaving.

"I'll be back in a couple of days." He said.

She nodded into his shirt. Jax looked up and noticed Tara standing in the hallways with Thomas watching the display, smiling warmly at Jax and his sister. Eventually, he pulled back from her and kissed her forehead.

"Just be safe, okay?"

"You got it." He said.

Alex smiled as best she could and leaned up, kissing Jax on the cheek and hugging him one final time before Tara joined the room.

"We should probably head out." She said.

Alex stepped towards her and hugged her tightly too, trying not to crush Thomas. To Tara's surprise, Alex kissed her cheek as well when she pulled away and made sure to give one to Thomas too.

"Take care of our boys?"

"Always." Tara smiled heavily.

"Good luck with the job and everything."

"Thanks."

"Hey buddy, give Alex a hug."

The young woman turned again to see Jax holding Abel. The little boy leaned forward, almost leaving Jax's grip but the blond held strong and hugged Alex. She smiled and kissed the top of his head when they parted.

"Seriously," she said following the two parents to the door. "Be careful, okay? I don't want to have to come rescue your ass or anything."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Jax smiled, cupping her cheek lightly. "Love you darlin'."

"Love you too Jackie."

Alex stood in her doorway for a moment watching the two load up their children and drive away, waving to her as they disappeared and she found herself wanting that. She wanted a family and something happy like that.

With a heavy smile, Alex went back inside and decided that she was going to do something productive, something to help her forget the hell she'd gone through over the past few years.

~~!~~

The acid mixture bubbled the dried blood on Alex's driveway like she thought it would. She didn't have too much left after cleaning the cat's blood off her walls, but peroxide seemed to be helping her out too. She found herself happy the people in her neighborhood didn't call the cops the other day when Bobby shot off her garage door lock. That would have made for an interesting day…

Struggling to keep her balance and from hurting herself, Alex began to gimp through her back door and into the garage with her hose in her hands. She was spilling water everywhere, the pressure making the liquid squish through the junction between the hose and her garden spraying attachment. But aside from a bit of impressive cursing, Alex managed to hobble into her garage and let the torrent of water free.

She soaked the blood pool, fighting the gag at seeing her own figure left behind in it, and rinsed as much as she could from the concrete. After the bubbling and so forth of the chemicals she'd thrown down onto it, the blood seemed to come off easily enough, but it would need scrubbing. Since that was absolutely out of the question, Alex had no choice but to stand as still as she could and all but waterlog her garage.

The door was wide open letting her use every bit of daylight she could to see what she was doing. The chair was pushed off to the side, she made an internal note to burn it later while everything else in the neighborhood went on like she wasn't clearing away a crime scene. Well, almost everything.

About five, maybe ten minutes after Alex had started hosing down her garage floor, a neighbor she didn't know came walking by with her kids. They were holding hands and wearing backpacks looking barely old enough to go to school. Probably kindergarten. But it was the look she got from the mother that bothered her. When the woman glanced up to see Alex, even though Alex waved politely, she did little more than hurriedly walk her children away from the sight. Evidently they remembered the other day…

Pushing the awkwardness away, Alex moved her eyes to the ever fading splotch of blood when her phone rang. Unable to keep it too far away given she couldn't run to it, Alex turned off the water and dug into her back pocket.

"Hello?" she asked leisurely adjusting the setting on her hose tip, finding the strongest stream.

"_Alex baby, where are you?"_ Gemma asked worriedly on the other end of the line.

"Home," she replied, giving the matriarch her full attention. "Why? Everything okay?"

"_No sweetie. Tara's been hurt."_

"What? What's happened? Where's Jax? The boys?" she asked almost frantically.

"_Everyone else is okay, but Tara's down here at St. Thomas."_

"Oh my god." She muttered under her breath. "Okay, well… give me a little bit and I'll get there as soon as I can."

"_Okay sweetie."_

Alex hung up quickly and moved as fast as she could into the house to change into something that wasn't dirty and nasty. It was easy, putting on a pair of jogging pants and a shirt. The task was trying to close her damn garage door before she left, asking the overly accommodating Taxi driver to do it before setting off to Saint Thomas.

She hurriedly paid the man and got out as SAMCRO came charging angrily out of the hospital's ER wing. Jax saw Alex walking as fast as she could manage towards him, worry on her face. He and Opie branched off from the group to meet her.

"She okay?" Alex asked with evident concern.

"She's safe." He told her heavily. "They fucked up her hand real bad, but she's getting x-rays right now."

"Okay…" Alex nodded slowly. "Where are you guys going?"

"To figure out what the hell's going on." Opie replied, inadvertently twisting the ring she'd given him on his finger.

Alex noticed the nervous action. She couldn't tell if he knew he was doing it or not, but she could see it. Her brows came together when she looked back at Jax.

"Is this retaliation?" she asked under her breath.

"I don't know." He sighed. A whistle alerted them to Clay calling the boys. "Look, I gotta go. Gemma's gonna stay with Tara."

"Okay. I'll be here too."

"Okay." He nodded, moving forward and kissing her cheek, she returned the affection.

"Be careful alright?" she said.

He managed a weak smile and nodded before walking off but she could see the worry and anger in his eyes. Opie walked forward and kissed her forehead.

"Be. Safe." She repeated, sterner than before.

"Yeah."

Opie seemed to believe his words as much as she did as he walked off to the others. Alex stayed a moment, seeing them all get onto their bikes and ride off. She breathed deep and sighed, shaking her head before walking into the hospital.

"Jesus fucking Christ." She mumbled to herself.

Alex moved slowly through the halls of the hospital. She had gotten her own rhythm down for walking lopsided with the cane, but it was little faster than walking without one in the first place.

As she turned another corner, walking almost blindly, Alex spotted a woman with an authoritative appearance. She was short, maybe Alex's height with chin length red hair. She was older too, an administrator most likely, and wore a suit to boot. She looked like the one Alex could ask.

"Uh, excuse me?" Alex chimed as the woman neared.

"Yes," she greeted with a smile.

"Mrs. Murphy," she said, reading the woman's name badge. "Would you happen to know where I could find Doctor Tara Knowles?"

The smile faltered if not faded completely. The boss lady type eyed her skeptically. Alex found herself cocking her own brow at the judging older woman.

"May I ask how you know Dr. Knowles?"

Despite being politely worded, the phrase sounding anything but. There was an edge to her words that bothered Alex to the point she wanted to side-sweep her old brittle legs with the cane.

"I'm her sister-in-law."

Her words seemed to be a surprise but it was true. Alex was going to be or was already Tara's sister in law because Jax was her brother. But as the surprise crossed the woman's face, something else entwined. It was an emotion akin to expectation or recognition.

"You must be Miss Walker."

"Must I be?" Alex asked, a bit stunned herself.

This time the genuine smile returned to the woman's face.

"I'm Margaret Murphy, Tara's boss. She's told me a lot about you."

"Good or bad?"

Confusion touched her face for a moment.

"Good, for the most part." Murphy replied unsurely.

The older woman knew what she'd been told probably wasn't the greatest things to be told about someone. Tara had told her boss about the injuries, not why but about them, when she took the medical pieces out of the hospital.

"Okay…" she muttered. "Well, can you tell me where she is? I wanted to see her."

"Oh, of course. She's right down this way. I'll take you there."

"Thank you." Alex said kindly as she moved to follow the woman down the halls towards Tara's room.

Alex noticed the administrator glancing at her out of the corner of her eyes, but tried to push it away. She had been getting odd looks from a lot of people lately from the sling and cane. She tried not to think about how much of her business Tara had aired.

"Here we go." Murphy said politely. "She's the second door on the right, but she may not be back from x-ray yet."

"Okay. Thanks again, I appreciate it."

Murphy smiled, nodded and turned to walk off. She found herself grateful that at least one of the people Tara surrounded herself with was polite and not an all around bitch. She didn't know Alex very well either, but the young woman wouldn't have been rude anyway. Something she was taught was to at least be polite to strangers. You never know if they're going to play a part in your life at some point down the road.

Making her way awkwardly into the semi-waiting room, Alex took a seat and waited. She waited, and waited, and waited a bit more until Tara emerged at the end of the hall being rolled into her room. She caught sight of Alex standing before walking in behind them. The young woman stood off to the side and waited until the attendings left.

"Hey," Alex said softly, walking forward with a weak smile.

"Hey." Tara replied in the same tone.

"You high?" she teased, trying to ignore the massive chunk of white gaze and padding wrapped around Tara's right hand, the hint of blood lingering behind. She didn't want to think about how deep the gash beneath it was.

"Pain killers." Tara sighed, her eyes watery. "I'm coming down though."

Alex nodded, sliding a chair close to the bed.

"Well, I'm not stupid enough to ask how you're feeling." She teased lightly causing Tara to smile. "But other than the obvious, how are you feeling?"

Tara took a breath, her eyes staring at the ceiling. Alex watched as her brows knit together tightly, relaxing and tensing again as she fought back tears. It was understandable.

"Scared." Tara answered after a moment of silence. She wouldn't say this to most people, but if anyone had a chance to understand, it'd be Alex. Slowly Tara rolled her head back to face Alex. "What the hell's going on?"

Alex barely managed a shrug, shaking her head weakly.

"I don't know." She replied honestly. "I don't think they even know yet."

Tara brought her good hand to her face and struggled to keep the tears from her eyes. She didn't want to cry in front of someone else, but it didn't look like she'd be getting her wish. Nearly being kidnapped by gun totting psychos would shake anyone, no matter how strong.

"Hey," Alex cooed softly, moving as close as she could to Tara. She wanted to put her hand reassuringly on the doc's, but she didn't have the reach and was worried about hurting her. Tara slowly looked to Alex with tears lingering on her lashes. Alex forced a smile. "It's okay. You're here now, I've got my awesome cane so I can take on whoever comes through that door."

Tara laughed weakly before she could stop herself. The image of Alex going bat-shit on someone with a cane in her weak hand and her other arm in a sling looked ridiculous in the young woman's mind. Alex felt the tension lift slightly with the laugh and was glad for it.

"Besides, we can be sling-buddies."

"Oh god…" Tara groaned, still harboring just a hint of a smile.

Alex smiled warmly this time, Tara looking at her. With her own heavy hearted grin, Tara brought her left hand over and gently placed it on the hand Alex laced over the bed's railing.

"Thanks for coming." She said finally.

"Hey, you were there for me. Granted, I don't think you want me operating on you too, but you gave me a hand. Of course I came." Alex teased lightly. Tara seemed relieved which made Alex worry less about her mental health. Compared to Alex, Tara was a sheltered bird suddenly released into the real world when it came to personal trauma. Then again, Alex didn't know about what brought Tara to Charming either. "How about I go to the gift shop and buy you a bear or something? Maybe a duck?"

Tara laughed again and shook her head at the ridiculousness.

"Bear it is." Alex smiled, pushing herself up and stepping over Tara. The young doctor was surprised when Alex leaned forward and kissed the top of her head like she had with the boys. "I'll be back a little later. It'll take me about an hour to get there and back though."

Tara laughed softly and nodded as Alex walked out of the door and disappeared into the hall.

True to her word, it did take about forty minutes to walk to the other side of the hospital, find something she liked and walk back with it in her hands. Actually, she didn't even carry it. Instead, Alex shoved the plush stuffed bear into her sling and walked back with its head and arms sticking out. It made Jax laugh when she showed up like that, surprised the man was there, but laughing too.

He told her she was in surgery at the moment and with her brother, the two waited in the Waiting Room. Hours passed, hours and hours that forced Alex to slowly slip into sleep. Jax must have left her that way and went in to see Tara because when she woke again he had tears in his eyes. God damn medicine made her pass out when she was still too long...

"Baby, what's wrong?" she asked heavily, sleep touching her voice.

"Shit's hit the fan." He sighed, leaning forward onto his knees, shaking his head in disbelief. "I don't know how to fix this." He turned his heavy head to her. "Tell me how to fix this."

"Shhh," she cooed, pulling Jax over to her. He fell onto her good shoulder, Alex looping her arm around his shoulder and gently running her fingers through his hair. "You just be there, that's all. Just be there for her, help her."

"I don't know how."

"Just be there. You'd be surprised how much it helps."

It broke her heart to see him so lost, so powerless. It wasn't something Jax ever was. He was strong and determined and passionate about everything he did, but now… now he was just a guy whose fiancée was in pain and he couldn't stop it.

Alex rested her cheek on his head, still gently stroking his hair when the rest of the Club came walking in to talk to Jax. He asked her for a minute so she gave it to him, pushing herself up and kissing his head before getting herself a disgusting cup of coffee.

Not ten minutes later, assuming it was enough time; she made her way back to the Waiting Room and found Jax speaking with Opie. Judging from what she could hear, this was bad.

"You gotta fix things with your wife. Go talk to your old man. You hold onto that shit Ope." Jax said heavily, standing over his friend with nothing but remorse marring his face.

Without another word, he walked out of the room and into Alex. He paused when he saw her standing there staring at him in confusion.

"Take care of him." He told her, moving along and back to Tara.

The cryptic behavior wasn't helping her understand anything, but she knew something was wrong. Slowly, Alex stepped into the room and put her hand on Opie's shoulder. He jumped from the touch, so deep in his own thoughts he hadn't realized there was someone else with him. He looked up at her, rage seeping into his eyes but she knew it wasn't towards her.

"Come on Opie. Take me home."

He nodded and stood, walking with Alex into the parking lot.


	22. Chapter 22

**I hope you enjoy! Thanks to everyone, seriously, you guys are great.**

Hands

Pt 2

Opie drove Alex back to the Club on his bike which hurt more than she thought it would but she took it. She didn't complain, more concerned with what the hell was wrong with Opie. When they reached the shop, the two made their way to Alex's house in her car and still he hadn't spoken. She was getting more and more worried about it, frightened about what the hell Jax had said to the man. Finally when they made it into the house, she'd had enough of the silence.

"God damn it Ope, what's wrong?" she snapped, falling onto her couch.

He didn't speak and instead migrated into her kitchen. When Alex heard the fridge open and close, she knew he took a beer. A minute passed, then two and still he hadn't returned. Alex hissed under her breath, cussing out the man for making her get up again before slowly making her way towards him.

When she made it to the doorway, Alex leaned against the doorjamb and stared at him. Opie was propped up against the countertop by the fridge, taking a long sip from the beer bottle, avoiding her eyes. Alex crossed her arms over her chest. Well, she crossed her left over her right that was about it but the point was still made. She noticed his eyes flash towards her for a second. He noticed her, but still didn't speak.

"The hell's wrong with you?" she snapped. "What did you and Jax talk about that's got you…"

Before she could finish, Opie reared back and threw his longneck at the wall. Alex ducked out of instinct despite being on the opposite end of the kitchen from where the bottle hit. Evidently she struck a nerve and the rage seething within Opie finally burst free.

When she looked back up he was pacing. He clenched his fists and relaxed them a few times, still looking like an enraged bear wanting to attack. Alex looked at her wall and noted a divot in the shape of the bottle's bottom, glass everywhere and beer slowly trickling down from the impact site. Her eyes narrowed.

"What the fuck Harry?!"

Opie stopped pacing immediately. His back had been to her but now he looked over his shoulder with his brows together. Alex never, _ever_ called Opie by his name. She'd only done it enough times in their past for him to count on one hand and those times she was bordering on violent rage. Now didn't seem any different.

"Talk to me." She snapped angrily. "And stop trying to destroy my house!"

"Jax is getting out." He growled, figuring he needed to say something or risk punching her wall again.

"_That's_ what this is about? So? Be happy for him."

Opie turned the full brunt of his anger on Alex.

"You knew?" he asked, his brows folded together so tightly it hurt.

"Yeah. So?"

"I can't believe this shit. Why the fuck am I the last to find this shit out?"

"Probably because you're acting like this!"

They were yelling at each other and despite the anger in their words, both knew it wasn't aimed at the other. It was the entire situation that seemed to piss them off.

"Why are you so mad?"

"Because he can walk off like it's no fucking problem." He told her angrily. "But they wouldn't let me leave."

She stared at him confused.

"I don't understand. When did you try to get out of SAMCRO?"

Opie sighed, running his hand over his face as he tried to calm down enough to tell her the story.

"After Chino, I tried to get out." He said as calmly as he could. It wasn't very. "Jax convinced me to stay and now he gets to walk out like its nothing? It's fucking bullshit!"

"Calm down, Ope. Fucking breathe."

"No! I can't do this shit by myself. I can't…" he sighed, this time his shoulders dropped. He turned his back to her again and regained his spot against the countertop. "I can't do this by myself."

His voice had dropped significantly and she knew the yelling was over. Opie was like a five year old throwing a tantrum when he got mad. It was loud, shit flew through the air, he might hit something or even someone, but it ended relatively fast. Opie wasn't the kind of individual that would display his anger long. He could stay angry for months though, years even and never truly let something go, but he was more content to keep it within, taking the suffering onto himself instead of letting everyone around him know. That's why his fits like this were minutes long at best.

As he stared down at the tiled floor of Alex's kitchen, seething with anger and hatred, something approached. Opie looked up in time to see Alex loop her arm around his waist and hug him as best she could. He stood still, unmoving for a while as she rested her cheek against his chest.

"You're not alone, you idiot." Alex finally said heavily. Opie smiled lightly but it faded fast. "I'm right here."

Slowly his arms came up and wrapped around her, hanging limply around her hips. She felt the weight of his chin on the top of her head.

Alex understood why Opie was so angry. He was jealous. It may be a different form of the emotion, but jealousy nonetheless. He thought it was unfair of Jax to be able to take his wife, his kids and leave without a problem when Opie tried to do the same and hit resistance every step of the way. To make things worse, Jax expected some kind of support for it. He expected Opie to understand. He didn't. Not the way Jax wanted.

"You wouldn't have been here when I got back, would you?"

The question came after minutes of silence which made it surprising, but that particular question was more random than he'd expected. It took his mind a moment to catch up but eventually he shook his head.

"Probably not."

She left it at that. Alex didn't want to tell him how happy she was he hadn't gotten out of SAMCRO or that he was still there because she didn't know what it had cost him in the end. She assumed part of the reason Ope was so pissed was because Donna died not long after, and she figured he blamed the Club for it, at least a little bit. Because of that, she wasn't stupid enough to say how relieved, happy, ecstatic and whatever else she was that Opie was there now. If he hadn't been, she wasn't sure she ever would have been able to survive Emmett.

"You heading home tonight?"

She felt Opie shake his head again.

"Mary's got the kids till tomorrow. She's bringing them home after they get off school."

"Okay."

He felt himself adjust enough to look at the top of her head.

"It cool if I stay here again?"

"You better."

Opie smiled internally and resumed his grip on Alex.

The two had grown closer in the past few weeks than they rightfully should have. It'd been about five years since Alex stopped visiting and calling, all but disappearing within the first six months of her marriage to Emmett. Opie, on the other hand, was in Chino when she left and would be for the following year and a half. He barely got to see her while he was on the inside because she didn't want to take time away from Donna and the kids, visiting about once a month. She was the one who managed to convince Donna to stay with him in the first place, telling her the truth about Opie's actions and revealing how scared he was for her when he tried to get her to divorce him while incarcerated. So with that and how long he was in, it had been even longer since he'd seen her.

He was stunned when she first appeared, forgetting how pissed off he'd been when she vanished into thin air. True he understood now, but he probably still would have held it against her longer if he hadn't figured it out. Alex was just happy he accepted her into his life again, fearing all of them would have turned their backs on her like she had when she left.

With the contention she'd expected, Alex was shocked to find everyone welcoming her with open arms. She was relieved Opie didn't hate her and with the events that transpired since, they were drawn together yet again. It was like a new start in a way, the two of them getting a new beginning after the wakes of their own marriages and lives had settled.

Eventually, Alex grew tired, Opie as well and the two made their way back to Alex's room. Perhaps they should have been apprehensive of sharing a bed, but it never donned on either of them. It never crossed their minds that sleeping together was inappropriate, that Opie should have chosen either the couch or the bed in the spare room. They didn't care. They wanted to share a bed so they would.

Alex fell asleep long before Opie. The young man was still seething about the shit with Jax, about the double standard he was getting the shorter end of, and found it harder to slip into sleep than before. He found himself leaning against her headboard with pillows propped up under him when Alex made a sound. She'd breathed deep and gasped, or something else along those lines, that drew his attention.

Opie found himself looked down at the young woman sleeping on her own pillow for once and not his chest. She looked peaceful but the marks of her former life still graced her skin. The cut on her lip was still evident, the one on her cheek and the final on her forehead but they had healed greatly in the last couple of days. Alex had put on a thinly strapped shirt to sleep in and neglected to put another bandage over her stitches. He felt himself scowl at the sight of the angry wound, still pink as it healed and tied shut with chunks of whatever Tara used to sew it.

His hand came up and tenderly moved the strap to the side so he could better examine the injury. When the strap tugged on a stitch Alex sucked in a sharp breath. Opie froze and didn't continue until she slipped back into sleep. Anger bubbled inside of him at the sight of the injury and the fact that a man would do it to someone he claimed to love. Opie knew he'd never have been able to hurt Donna or even Alex. He would never have laid a hand on her and he knew it.

To his surprise, Opie reached over and guided Alex towards him. She moved into his side like he silently wanted and fell right back to sleep. He wrapped his arm around her again and to his shock and relief, fell asleep within in few moments. The cadence of her heart beating against his waist and the familiar smell of her shampoo seemed to be all it took for the anger of the day to whither into nothing and his mind to relax enough he could go to bed.

Call of Duty

Ep. 11

Shit hit the fan the following day. Like every other day before, at least for the passed four days, Opie left Alex's house in the morning and went to the Club House to meet the others and see what work needed to be done. It didn't take them long to figure out Georgie didn't come through on his end of the bargain and screwed them with the housing development. The retaliation with Lobos cost the Club a member. Seriously, who used land mines? Juice wasn't getting any better with his situation surrounding the cops. Tara had gone ape-shit in the hospital, smashing her arm up to the point the doctors had to reset it, and Gemma was now sporting her own facial cuts and bruises, so much worse than what Alex had to wear.

No one knew what the hell was going on. Everything seemed to be coming to some kind of crescendo. The weight of the world was slowly sinking down onto Jax and Opie's shoulders for different reasons with everything else threatening to swallow them whole. No one, not even the people associated with the Club knew what the fuck to do. They were lost. For the first time in years, everyone was lost.

Opie and Jax leaned against the railing at Teller-Marrow in the yard beside their bikes. The sun had set on yet another shit filled day and all Jax could think about was fixing his relationship with his brother and his girl. Opie didn't seem as willing, still angry about it despite Alex trying to calm him down and make him understand.

"Did you talk to Lyla?" Jax asked, handing off a joint to his brother.

"Yeah." Opie replied unenthusiastically. He took a long drag, blowing a bit of the ash away from the cherry and exhaled the smoke. "Ain't gonna happen."

"Why not?" he asked.

"Who knows?" he muttered. "Some bullshit bout Donna and Alex."

Jax felt his eyes narrow for a moment while Opie replayed the conversation in his head. Lyla cut deep when she said they'd never be happy until he let Donna die. Honestly it pissed him off. Then she kept going, saying shit about the way he looked at Alex, that the two of them were too close which meant something was going on. He told her she didn't know what she was talking about, but she kept pushing it. In the end she was lucky Tig interrupted them because he might have said a few things she wouldn't like if he hadn't walked away.

"I'm sorry man." Jax sighed.

"Why?"

"Because I want you to be happy." Jax replied, hearing the tone in Opie's voice. If Opie thought he'd be happy with Lyla, Jax wanted him to be with Lyla. The same went with anyone or anything else. He just wanted the man to have something good in his life for once.

"Oh, is that what you want?" Opie asked sarcastically. Jax narrowed his eyes on the man.

"Look, if you've got something to say, just say it." He said, still keeping his calm.

Opie sighed and hit the joint again.

"When Donna wanted me out, I didn't stay cause of what you said. I stayed because I knew trying to be anything else would be a lie." He told Jax. "And _that's_ the worse thing a guy can do to his family."

"I didn't plan this; it just played out this way." He tried to make Opie understand. "I'm sorry. I never meant to lie to you."

"Yeah, and I'm sorry I believed you." Opie replied shortly, throwing the roach down and walking off. He approached the office and spotted Unser inside. "Hey, toss me the tow keys."

The old man within slowly pushed himself up and located the keys to the truck on the bulletin board before lobbing them to Opie.

"Kinda late for a pick up isn't it?"

"I'm gonna pick up Piney." He replied, walking towards the tow truck. "Something tells me he ain't in the condition to ride."

Opie didn't hear Unser's words as he got into the large truck. Before he left that morning, Alex asked him if he could try to get a hold of Piney. Evidently she'd tried to call him and he didn't answer the day before. It wouldn't be that odd for anyone else, but it was for Alex. Piney always answered her phone calls. She was his favorite.

He wanted nothing more than to go home and it wasn't even his home he wanted to go to. That house was cursed. Any woman that walked into it was gone within a few years if she shared the roof with him. It was sad but true. Two years seemed to be about the limit until they were gone. He couldn't make himself worry about Lyla though. She chose to leave, that was different.

The tow truck lumbered down the streets while Opie headed to the cabin. For the first time in a long time, he found himself just wanting to get back to the house. He wanted to be with Alex, to sit and watch TV, to eat dinner. Hell, he'd be fine just going to bed and doing nothing else. He just wanted to be around her.

She made the bullshit disappear. Even when she was neck deep in it with him, she made him feel like it wasn't going to suffocate him and that wasn't something he was used to. Even with Donna, as much as he loved her, the problems were just as bad when he got home, when he woke up in the morning, whatever it was he did they never left. It wasn't like that with Alex. She made him fell… normal. Amidst the chaos, she was the one solid thing around. She didn't lie to him, she didn't use him, she didn't do anything but be there and it was amazing how much that mattered in the end.

As he pulled up to the cabin and walked inside, it didn't take long for everything else in his world to come crashing down into a pile of rubble. His father, his god damn father, was lying on the ground with blood coming from his nose, a hole in his chest and an acrid stench coming from his whole body that let anyone standing within a few feet know this wasn't recent. The color in his face was gone, putrescent liquid having long since soaked into the hardwood floor beneath him and flied circling the dead man. Everything was wrong. He was dead. His dad was dead.

The floorboards creaked when the door behind him opened. Opie reacted suddenly and violently, grabbing Unser and forcing him to tell him what the fuck happened, why his only family was gone and left to rot on the floor of their cabin like he was nothing. Unser told him a story Opie couldn't believe.

Bile began to rise in his throat as his knees finally gave out. The tears burned his eyes, streaming down his cheeks without inhibition as he sobbed for another member of his family gone. Clay had taken everything from him, everything he loved, everything that kept his sane and steady and he didn't look like he was going to stop.

Opie wanted nothing more than to hit something, shoot someone, his body shaking with hot rage. He'd never felt this kind of anger before. He thought the betrayal of Donna's death, the hatred he felt then was the most he'd ever experience in his life. It was nothing compared to now. Too many emotions were coursing through his veins, contradicting thoughts and actions that threatened to rip him in twain when his eyes fell back to Unser.

"Clay's got to go son." He told him calmly. "Before he kills someone else you love."

He stared at the man that had told him more than he could comprehend. He didn't know what to think. Everything was slowly going numb as images of his kids, Alex, all began to course through his mind. If Clay ever got a hold of one of them, Opie didn't know if he could survive it.

He wouldn't. There was no question about it, he wouldn't. If Clay killed either of the three, Opie wouldn't stop until he physically ripped every appendage from the old man's body.

Without speaking to the former cop, Opie turned and left. He leapt into the truck and sped off with no regard to anything around him. When the truck bowled over something, it could have been a tree branch, a dog, or another car with as much as he was paying attention.

~~!~~

Alex was sitting on the couch in her house, flipping through the channels for the hundredth time it seemed. She was tired but to her surprise, finding it was difficult for her to sleep without Opie there. It was an unintended side-effect of the time the two had been spending together. Save a single night, ever since Emmett hurt her, Opie had been there every morning and every night. Being near him made her feel safer than she thought possible and even with the knowledge Emmett will never get her again, Alex needed the giant nearby.

The sound of screeching tires snapped Alex out of her world. It was close, close enough she heard the door open and close. Her brows pulled together curiously. It sounded like someone was pissed. Its hard to explain, being able to tell something like that when you can't see anything, but if you've ever had temperamental neighbors who fight a lot, you can always tell when someone was slamming on the brakes so they could start some shit. The fight she expected. The large man in the beanie rushing through her door she didn't.

Opie threw her front door open without bothering to knock or announce he was there. True he didn't knock anymore anyway, but he generally told her when he was on his way so he wouldn't freak her out when he showed up. This wasn't that kind of situation. He had barreled through the door, barely grabbing it before the doorknob embedded itself in the wall behind it and looked around frantically for the young woman. His eyes fell to her on the couch, seeing sitting with her leg propped up on a pillow leaning against the arm of the couch and complete shock across her face.

Alex tried to speak, the shock wearing off after a moment when Opie moved. He charged towards her. In reality it was more like walking but the man was so tall, four steps easily took him the fifteen feet from the door to her side, the door slamming behind him like an afterthought.

He pushed the coffee table away without even trying, the force of his wake enough to make the thing run in fear, and grabbed her good arm. Before she could understand what was happening, he pulled her up and laced it around his neck, forcing her to stand on the couch's cushions in one swift movement before burying his face in the nape of her neck.

Alex paused, the pain from her scar taking a back burner to the way Opie was acting. His otherwise violent yanking had pulled the older injury, but she was too stunned to pay it much attention as she tried to balance on the plush cushions and rationalize why Opie was suddenly hugging her like he'd never seen her before.

"What's wrong?" she finally asked.

Opie tensed his grip enough to make her wince. His breath was burning her skin and he was shaking. Her brows began to pull together as the confusing behavior shifted into frightening.

"Opie, talk to me." She said, the fear starting to touch her voice.

Still he didn't speak. He held her too tight, hurting the young woman more than before and continued to tremble. The fear was quickly becoming panic.

"Opie," she said desperately, pulling back from the man enough to grab his cheeks in her hands, force him to look at her. "What's wrong?"

He looked up the marginal distance between their height with pain in his eyes. His face was flushed, his brows furrowed, his eyes glassy and the remnants of tears lingering within his lashes.

"What's wrong?" she pressed, fear lapping within her body. His brows twitched tighter together. "Baby, say something." She pleaded.

He couldn't form the words. He couldn't come out and say what he knew he needed to because it still didn't seem real. Despite seeing it, despite being there and feeling his father's dead body, Opie couldn't open his mouth to actually form the words.

"S'gone." He choked, the only thing that would make it passed the knot in his throat.

"Who? Who's gone?" she pressed. She felt tears starting to burn her own eyes the longer she looked at him, her fear all encompassing. "Did someone die?"

Opie's face twitched again and forced him to look down. He pressed his forehead to her sternum just between her breasts and held her hips firmly in his hands. He let out one labored breath after another. The shaking hadn't stopped and Alex's clarity on the situation hadn't changed. He didn't know why, but his body wouldn't let him tell her the truth. He knew what would happen if Alex found out Piney was gone and Opie couldn't handle that right now. He needed her to be his rock again. He needed her to be the safe spot in the storm and protect him from himself.

Slowly he began to shake his head. Alex immediately breathed her relief. The thought of someone else having died was a little more than she felt she could deal with. Kozik was bad enough. Granted she barely knew the man, but Tig did and she was close to him. With everything that was going on, she didn't think she could handle someone passing away.

"Then what's wrong?" she asked, wondering what would merit Opie acting the way he was. The normally levelheaded man seemed to be falling apart in her arms and she wanted to know why.

As though knowing what to say, a single word left his mouth.

"Lyla." Was all he could get out.

Alex's brows came together again as she cradled the man to her chest. She buried her face in his beanie and hugged him as best she could from the odd angle. Lyla left him, she's the one who was gone and by the way he was acting it meant gone forever. It wasn't her just running off cause she was scared like she had, it was her leaving for good. And if Opie was acting like this about it, Alex couldn't help but want to comfort him.

"I'm sorry sweetie." She whispered into the back of his head. His grip on her hips tensed briefly. "I'm so, so sorry."

She felt him nod but Opie couldn't speak anymore. Alex had to admit that a small part of her, a sick part, was glad Lyla was gone. She was kind of glad to hear it because now there wasn't anyone else in the picture. And then she stopped. She felt disgusting for thinking like that when Opie was taking it so hard made Alex feel guiltier than before. This wasn't about her; this was about him losing his wife.

Alex held him tighter, adjusting herself so she could press her cheek to the side of his head, her mouth closer to his ear despite it being hidden within the black fabric.

"It's okay. You'll find someone else." She said softly, trying her best to reassure him.

Opie felt horrible for lying to Alex. He felt sick to his stomach about it actually. She had the right to know, more so than a few people in his mind, but he couldn't tell her. Not yet. He needed her. He needed someone he could trust to help him through this and she would break apart worse than him if she knew.

"Come on." She said. "You can take a shower here and we can go to bed. Okay?" she felt him nod into her shirt. "It'll be better tomorrow."

But it wouldn't be. It wouldn't be better tomorrow, the day after or the day after that. It would never be better.

Eventually Alex got Opie to move. He helped her to the bed before she could even ask. To her shock, he stayed where he was and grabbed her legs, wrapping them around him and walking down the hall without asking if she was okay with it. It surprised her to be honest, but not anymore than what he did afterwards.

Gently, Opie bent down and let the young woman fall onto her bed. She found herself looking strangely at him as she scooted herself up into her spot. Opie barely gave her a chance to settle before he appeared on the other side of the bed. He didn't bother removing his boots, his cut, or his jacket, anything else except his beanie and hair tie.

It didn't take a genius to figure out what he wanted, especially when he went so far as to lay his head in her lap without waiting for her to speak. A slow smile began to spread across Alex's lips as her fingers moved through his hair.

When they were kids, Alex did this for Opie and Jax both. She liked doing it for some reason, why she never knew, but assumed it might be because they both had such soft hair. When it was clean at least. Whenever they were bored, sick, tired, whatever you could think of, one of them or both would plop their heads down in her lap so she could play with their hair. Everyone likes someone running fingers through their hair. It was relaxing, calming and made you feel better.

Opie felt himself slip back into his internal hell as Alex's fingers moved slowly through his hair starting at his scalp and ending when she ran out of hair before starting all over again. He grabbed her left leg, the one he was primarily laying on, and wrapped his arms protectively around it like it were a pillow. She didn't mind. She wanted him comfortable and to forget about his wife leaving him.


	23. Chapter 23

**We're getting closer to the season finale. I hope you guys enjoy this and thank you again for all of the comments, reviews and watches. ~Enjoy!**

Burnt and Purged Away

Ep. 12

By morning, Opie hadn't gotten any better. He barely slept through the night, waking in random intervals before passing out though true sleep never happened. He couldn't. Too much was rolling around inside his head; Opie didn't have the time to crash yet.

Alex was sleeping soundly through the night. She didn't have nightmares that woke her from a dead sleep like she did the night before and when they did surface her face would do little more than tense before relaxing again. He found himself watching her for a while. He wasn't sure why, but it the only thing that helped him even a little.

Back when Mary left without so much as a word to Piney or Opie, Alex had helped him. She didn't ask how he was doing. She didn't press him to talk about it. She didn't _do_ anything really. The only thing she did was call Jax, steal a bottle of _Jack_ from her mama and grabbed her brothers to go to the lake to drink. The three of them sat in silence for a long time, none of them uttering a single word that wasn't 'refill' or 'can I get some more of that?', and they were fine with it.

Jax had left at some point that night leaving Opie and Alex alone as the crickets and locusts made their noises in the trees and bushes, the night eerily calm otherwise. At one point Opie had lain on his back using his leather jacket as a partial pillow, Alex's leg as the rest and she played with his hair. No one needed to talk. No one needed to offer condolences or words of advice that weren't wanted. He only needed her to be there and that was enough.

She'd helped him when Mary bailed. She helped him when he and Donna had problems before they got married and she dumped him for a month. Alex had helped him without actually doing anything more times through his life than he thought possible. And even now it seemed like she was doing it again. He never realized how grateful he was that she came home until that moment.

Around eight thirty, almost nine o'clock that morning, Alex began to wake. Opie was still watching her sleep as she bit back a groan and stretched before opening her eyes. It took her a moment to focus but when she had, she noticed Opie staring down at her with worry and deep thought still across his features.

"Did you sleep?" she asked with a groggy voice.

Opie shook his head and looked to his hands.

"No." he replied, his voice so filled with bass it worried her.

Slowly Alex managed to push herself up against her headboard and patted her lap. Opie glanced to her, raising a brow and wondering if he should do anything. When he hadn't, Alex decided suggestion wasn't the way to go. Instead of repeating her request, Alex grabbed the sleeve of his shirt and pulled him down.

Opie didn't have the strength to stop her or the pull of gravity as he fell onto his side. She grumbled when his shoulder pushed into the bruise on her ribs but continued to move herself and him until she had Opie resting comfortably in her lap. Like the night before, Alex ran her fingers through his hair.

"Don't have business with the guys today?" she asked finally, hoping work would divert his mind from whatever haunted him.

"No." Opie replied in the same voice as before.

Her brows came together when he didn't elaborate. When the hell didn't he have business with the guys? Did they give him a three day? Doubtful. His despondent behavior was worrying her.

"Opie, baby, look at me."

He felt her hand cup his cheek and force him to look up at her. Reluctantly Opie did just that, having to roll onto his back to keep from hurting his neck. His expression hadn't changed, completely stark and void of any emotion.

"You're worrying me." She said honestly, still holding his cheek softly as she gingerly ran her thumb along his cheekbone.

Opie didn't speak. He looked up at the young woman staring down at him with concern spreading across her face. He wanted so badly to tell her the truth, to tell her what he found, but he didn't know for a fact yet. All he knew was his father had died and he wasn't ready to tell her just that. He had to find out the truth beforehand. Knowing Alex, she wouldn't drop the subject until she knew every detail, everything that happened from why to who, and he couldn't give her that.

"I've got some shit to take care of today." He finally said, more words than she thought she'd get from him.

"Okay. Want me to come with you?"

"No." he said quicker than she expected. "Bike's at the shop. Mind if I take you car?"

"How bout I go with you?" she offered. "I'm going to give driving a shot today."

"That smart?"

Alex shrugged with her good shoulder.

"Well, not like I don't know a garage full of people." She teased.

She watched the tension in his face lighten but he didn't smile. Her eyebrows pulled together again.

"Opie, you're starting to scare me."

He didn't want to do that, make her nervous or afraid, least of all by him, but he couldn't tell her either. He wanted to force a smile or something, but to be honest Opie wasn't sure he'd ever smile again.

Without answering, he sat up and leaned over her. Alex wasn't surprised by the action but she was by what he did. Opie leaned in and she assumed meant to kiss her cheek. Instead, the corner of his lips touched hers, enough to send a jolt down her spine. It may not seem like much to anyone else, but if Alex would have turned her head an inch and a half to her left, she would have kissed Opie square on the lips. That was a shock despite Tara saying it'd already happened back at SAMCRO when she was hurt. Alex didn't remember that. It was harder to focus after having a hole in your shoulder operated on without anesthesia.

"I'll talk to you later." He told her as he moved off the bed and went about getting dressed. Her clarity remained as muddled as before, but he gave her a tinge of hope, telling her he'd eventually fill her in on what seemed to be haunting him.

Alex found herself watching him. His arms moved slower than normal, heavier like he was wearing weights or shackles on his wrists. His shoulders were slumped a bit lower than before and the whole time he wouldn't look at her. Something was seriously off. This wasn't just about Lyla. It couldn't be. Something else was very, very wrong.

"Do I need to pull out some _Jack_ or something?" she found herself asking as he put his gun back in his waistband.

Opie paused, knowing why she asked. Every time one of the trio was depressed, angry or in one of their moods, _Jack Daniels_ made it all better. He could feel her stare on his back and didn't want to turn around. If he kept looking into her face, he'd be lost in the intense green of her eyes and tell her everything he'd been trying to keep hidden for the past twelve hours. But she knew there was something more and it made things so much harder to avoid. If she kept pressing, he wasn't sure he could keep quiet.

"No." he finally said, shrugging on his jacket. "Go ahead and get ready. I need to head out soon."

Alex found herself nodding for no reason as Opie walked out of her room. She didn't know what he was doing in her living room or kitchen, but she knew he was avoiding her. Yup. Something was very wrong.

About ten minutes later, Alex came walking out of the hall with her cane in hand but not in use. She was walking with a pretty severe limp but the fact she could put any weight on her leg at all was impressive. After all, it'd only been about five days since her leg was cut to hell.

"You ready?" she asked, seeing him leaning against the archway into her kitchen.

He nodded when he saw her and pushed himself off. Alex was slightly crestfallen when he didn't say anything about her walking on her own, but maybe whatever he was thinking about was that bad.

Making sure she had everything she'd need for the day since she planned on visiting Tara, Alex followed the large man out of her house and into the car. Opie continued to remain silent on their way to Teller-Marrow, not saying a word in the ten minute drive. He still didn't speak when he pulled into a parking spot and attempted to get out. She knew he was going to leave because the keys were still in the ignition and her car was on. He planned to slip out and run off before she could stop him.

Unwilling to let him go just yet, Alex grabbed his arm and held him back. Feeling the tension, Opie sat back down still half way out the door and saw her sliding across the seats. Wonderful thing about some old cars, no bucket seats in the front. Hers was no different and made the task all the more easy once she threw the center console up and out of the way to its hidden compartment.

"Hey," she said softly. Opie looked at her blankly. It broke her heart to see and even more so not knowing why. "You know you can come to me with anything, right? You know I'm here."

Slowly the man managed to nod. This time his face twitched. His brows slowly came together and sadness looked back through his eyes.

"Come here." She whispered, moving forward and hugging the man. Opie wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her hair as she gently held the back of his head. "I love you Opie."

His grip tensed marginally.

"Love you too." He told her gruffly, whispering the words into her hair before pulling back.

With a quick kiss to her forehead, Alex watched as Opie slid the rest of the way out of her car and walked to his bike. She watched him sadly as he threw on his helmet and was gone within minutes of leaving her vehicle.

With a sigh and a shake of her head, Alex positioned herself in the driver's seat and set off. The driving was a quick diversion from Opie's random behavior. Like she assumed, the pain in the muscles of her right leg was a son of a bitch to cope with, but Alex cheated. She took pain meds. Yeah, maybe she shouldn't have been driving, but let someone try to stop her. She'd have a new hood ornament if they did.

~~~!~~~

Alex made her way to the hospital within about a half an hour. Going the speed limit was a bitch, but she didn't have the reflexes she normally would have with full use of her leg. Otherwise the drive would have lasted about fifteen, maybe twenty depending on the lights.

As she wove through the familiar halls, Alex found the young woman's room easier than before, relying very little on her cane. True her leg was sore, but she needed to use it. When she walked through the door, Alex saw Tara reading a book and smiled to her.

"Hey." She smiled warmly.

Tara forced a smile with a sigh.

"Hey." She responded, closing her book and setting it down. "Got your bear. Thanks."

Alex glanced to the food tray table and smiled at the lopsided brown teddy bear she'd told Jax to give Tara the night before.

"Cute, isn't he?" she mused, using her cane to pull a chair over and sit.

"You're walking already?"

"Yeah." Alex sighed heavily, twisting the end of her cane in the palm of her hand lazily. "Figured hobbling isn't working for me anymore." Tara laughed lightly. "So, how you feeling?"

Tara took in another long, deep breath, her head falling back onto the pillow. Alex cocked a brow.

"That bad huh?" she asked with a smirk.

"Just some shit, that's all."

"There's always going to be shit hanging around. It's life."

"Yeah well, my _shit_ came walking through that door yesterday."

Alex's brows came together. There was distinct animosity in Tara's voice that wouldn't take a genius to discern. Obviously she was mad about a guest.

"What happened?"

"You remember Wendy?" she asked shortly, this time meeting Alex's confused gaze.

"Jax's ex?"

Tara nodded.

"Yeah. What about her? She come in for an overdose or something?"

Tara scoffed and shook her head.

"She wants to be in Abel's life."

This time Alex's head tilted to the side. Her confusion was deepening.

"Okay…" she answered hesitantly. "Why? Isn't Abel yours?"

"Yes." She snapped before calming herself. "But, Wendy gave birth to him."

Alex confusion suddenly vanished. No one had told her that before. Then again, it didn't really matter until now. For all intensive purposes, Tara was Abel's mother.

"I can see why that'd piss you off." She answered absently, still thinking about the situation.

"That _skank_ almost killed Abel, and now she wants to be around?" Tara asked angrily. Alex knew she wasn't expecting an answer so she didn't offer one. "I'll be _damned_ if she comes near my boys."

"When you say _almost killed_, help me out here. I've been gone a while."

Tara seemed to relax a bit which was a relief. Alex didn't want her going crazy because there was nothing she could do to stop it.

"She was using when she was pregnant and we had to deliver him almost two months early." Tara replied with thick distain. "I was the one that had to perform surgery on Abel when he was born. I _saw_ what she did to him and now…"

"Okay, okay." Alex said quickly while Tara trembled with rage. "Calm down before I have you knocked out."

Tara turned to her.

"You don't have any drugs."

"No, but I've gotten pretty good with the cane."

That seemed to lighten the mood and Alex was grateful for it. Tara let a weak smile touch her lips and relaxed back into her pillow, Alex smiling warmly. She may not have known Tara went insane the day before, bashing her arm against the table after Wendy's visit, but it was obvious the blond brought out all kinds of rage.

"She's got nothing." She finally said. "You're a wonderful mom. I've seen it. Wendy's got nothing."

"She's threatening a custody war."

"She's a junkie." Alex exclaimed.

"_Ex-_junkie. She's been cleaned up evidently."

"So?" Alex asked sarcastically. "People might love that whole Cinderella story crap, but you tell people what she did when she was pregnant, what you had to do with Abel, she'd be lucky if she could get within a mile of that boy. Let her fuckin' try. She's got nothing."

Tara let an actual warm smile touch her lips when a nurse walked into the room.

"Hello again Dr. Knowles." The woman greeted kindly as she approached Tara's cast covered arm. "How's this feeling?"

"Like it did an hour ago." She sighed.

Alex smiled to herself.

"Okay, well we're going to start your discharge paperwork. You should be out of here in a couple of hours." She said, adjusting the pillow under the woman's arm.

"Thanks." Tara said softly when the door opened behind them.

It was Gemma. She stepped in apprehensively, letting the nurse pass before closing the door behind her. Slowly, the matriarch removed her sunglasses and met both young women's horrified faces. She was beaten and bruised, cuts along her cheeks and through her lip. She looked awful.

"Jesus Christ." Alex gasped.

"What happened to you?" Tara managed to ask.

"Fell down some stairs." Gemma replied simply.

"Christ Gemma." She sighed, shaking her head.

"Don't worry about it." Gemma said, dismissing Alex's worry as she looked to Tara. "How you feeling?"

"Like I want some more morphine."

Alex and Gemma smiled crookedly at her words.

"Speaking of junkies." Gemma said under her breath, not sure what Alex already knew.

"Let's not." Tara warned.

Gemma eyed the young doctor for a moment, taking in the rage that swelled within her dark brown eyes to the tension in her forehead. Slowly, she shifted to Alex.

"Can you give us a minute baby?"

"She doesn't need to go." Tara defended quickly.

Alex could tell Tara either didn't want to be alone with Gemma or she didn't want Alex to leave because it meant they were going to talk about Wendy. The latter was most likely the reason. But, to her dismay, Alex actually had _real_ errands to run. Evidently there's this stuff… what's it called… oh yeah, food, that people needed more than once a week and she was clean out at home.

"It's okay." Alex sighed. "I've got to buy some damn groceries and shit. Haven't been able to do much of anything the passed week. Besides," she said as she stood. "It looks like my bad luck's rubbing off on you two. Between your arm and your face, I feel like I should run before one of you gets shot or stabbed."

It was a bad joke, a really bad joke, but it was oddly accurate too. After all of her own shit, Alex's bad luck did seem to be leeching off onto every other woman she knew. Now Tara's right arm was in a sling and Gemma was beaten to Hell. She may not know for sure, but something told Alex it was Clay's hand. Gemma would've been able to get some bitch off her, but not a full grown man and there weren't any men in the Club that'd hurt her. Clay was the one that shown the most instability. Even as whacked as Tig and Happy could be, neither man would ever, _ever_ hit Gemma.

Slowly she walked to Tara's side and tried to ignore the silent pleading in the woman's eyes. If she really didn't need food and so forth, Alex would have remained there. But as it was, the young woman actually hadn't eaten much of anything in days, small meals here and there that didn't really qualify as meals. Snacks would be a better word.

When she reached the doctor's side, Alex leaned forward and hugged her as best she could, kissing her cheek lightly as she pulled back. Tara forced a heavy smile which Alex returned as she stepped back.

"Come see me tomorrow or something, okay?"

Tara nodded while Alex turned to Gemma. She hugged her mother figure who kissed her cheek.

"I'll see you later honey."

"Love you Mama."

"Love you too baby." She replied, watching Alex skeptically as she walked out of the room.

Alex opened the door and waved to the two women within before disappearing.

She hated shopping. There were few things in the world Alex absolutely despised and shopping, of any kind, was on the list. It took forever and there were people. She hated people the most. But, as slow as shopping would be before; it was nothing compared to now.

With a growl, Alex made her way into the car and set off for the grocery store. She was only getting the basics, absolute basics. It wasn't as though she could truly carry all of the things she needed anyway so a few TV dinners, milk, bread and some cereal or lunch meat would be the max.

~~~!~~~

Alex had struggled to get the damn milk into the house from weight alone, but was glad when she finally did. It wasn't like it was heavy necessarily, but it threw off her balance. A half gallon of milk threw off her balance… Jesus.

She was leaning against the fridge after struggling to get everything into the house and put away. Being the moron she was, Alex wanted to bring all four bags in at once. Why? Because she's an idiot. But seriously, who the hell wants to make four different trips to the car for a half gallon of milk, a loaf of bread, a box of cereal and three TV dinners? No one, that's who. It's pathetic but she was really regretting doing it all at once now.

As she got her breath and turned to walk back into the living room so she could close her door, Alex's phone began to ring. She dug into her pocket for it, reaching the door and using it for balance when she answered the call.

"Hello?" she asked, trying not to sound winded.

"_Alex honey? It's Wayne."_

"Oh, hi." She said, unsure as to why Unser would be calling her. "Uh, something wrong?"

"_No,"_ he answered quickly, too quickly in her mind. "_Uh, but the guys are down here at the funeral home. They wanted me to give you a call and see if you could come down here to meet them."_

"What's the Club…"

"_Not the Club."_ He interrupted. _"Just Jax and Opie."_

"Okay… uh, yeah. I can be down there in a few minutes I guess. You sure everything's alright?"

"_Yeah. They just uh… just go ahead and come down here. Come through the back where the cremator is."_

"Yeah," she said, not believing a word he said. "Okay. I'm leaving now."

"_Alright. Bye."_

"Bye."

Alex hung up the phone, more confused now than she was from his initial call. Shaking the dreadful feeling gathering at the base of her neck away, Alex pulled her door closed behind her, locked it and set off towards the funeral home.


	24. Chapter 24

**Bam! So here we go, the big reveal. And yeah, she's not happy. Like... at all. Thank you to everyone leaving comments and stuff. I love it. You have no idea how hard it is not to update right away when I read 'em. lol. I hope you enjoy!**

Burnt and Purged Away

Pt. 2

~~~!~~~

The sound of falling boots forced the two men to turn as Alex emerged unsurely in the doorway. Opie and Jax instantly tensed as she looked around confused. Her brow furrowed.

"What was so important I needed to come _here?"_ she asked Unser.

He was still standing behind her. He'd opened the door for her when she got there and hadn't closed it yet. The two men shot the old Chief a look.

"You called her?" Opie growled.

"Yeah," he said simply. "Because I knew neither of you would."

Alex's confusion deepened. This wasn't the first time she had been here to talk to them, by far, not even when the furnace was on, but they way Jax and Opie were acting made her nervous. She walked down the last few steps when Opie moved in front of her, Jax right behind him.

"You should go Alex." He told her seriously.

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously, looking from him and Jax and back again.

"What the hell's going on?" she asked quietly.

Opie's brow pulled together sadly, his back straight as he looked down at her. Alex's heart began racing within her chest. Something was very, very wrong and she had a feeling it had to do with something they didn't want her to know. After Opie's odd behavior the night before and this morning, she wasn't enthusiastic about walking away, but she didn't know what else to do either.

"Please?" Jax asked thickly.

She looked at the man sharing Opie's expression, but his eyes were glassy and pink. Her confusion deepened as she slowly began to nod.

"Fine." She replied, turning back to Opie. "I'll go."

He nodded. Alex turned to leave when something out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. She felt cold sweep through her veins, her back instantly tensing. The others knew something was wrong when she gasped, her eyes focusing on nothing as they instantly filled with tears. Slowly, her head shifted back to the fiery display behind Opie. Her mouth went slack as she saw familiar denim cut and patch burning in the furnace.

Any remaining air had been forced from Alex's lungs the instant recognition took over. She blinked the waterfall of tears free from her eyes, her mouth hanging slack as she struggled to breathe and rationalize what she was seeing. There was no way. It wasn't possible.

"No!" she suddenly screamed.

Alex tried to rush forward to the fire, thinking she could somehow make everything right if she pulled Piney out. She was willing to run through the tall man in her path, but didn't have the strength to push passed him instead plowing into his chest. When she tried to move around him, Opie wrapped his arms around her preventing it.

"No!" she cried again, tears streaming down her face as she struggled against his grip.

She sobbed, screaming that it couldn't be true, that they were lying even though she could see it right in front of her. It wasn't possible. That wasn't her father in the fires burning. But no one refuted her cries. No one told her differently.

Opie fought to keep her from reaching the furnace, but it was harder than he thought. Alex cried loudly at the sight, her body shaking before her knees suddenly gave out. Opie closed his eyes sadly, fighting back his own tears again as he guided her to the ground. She buried her face in the young man's jacket, clinging to him as she cried. Opie jerked every time she weakly punched him in the chest, holding her strongly to keep her from either hurting herself or someone else.

"No," she sobbed into his jacket, shaking her head repeatedly.

No one in the room said anything as Alex cried, Opie's large arms looped around her as she shook.

Jax felt useless, hopeless and disgusting as he stood in the corner. The tears he'd fought valiantly to suppress for Opie's sake began to trickle down his cheeks when Alex began to wail her own pain. There was no point to keep them back now and he wasn't sure he could if he tried.

Opie didn't move as he continued to hold Alex firmly in his arms, the two of them sitting on the ground and the young woman in his lap. Her head turned to the side after a few minutes, her body still trembling. She struggled to breathe, to get even one gasp of air into her lungs but it wouldn't. She couldn't. Opie wasn't squeezing her too tightly or anything, but the anguish she felt was too much.

After ten, maybe fifteen minutes Alex had gone silent. She still shook in Opie's arms, gasping and panting for air, but she was quiet. She blinked free the few tears that still lingered, but no new ones appeared. She'd run out. Alex had cried so much, she had nothing left to give.

Unser left shortly after Alex began crying, electing to stay outside in the parking lot than near the personal, familial display. Jax remained, leaning against the corner of the cinderblock room and Opie held Alex. She buried herself into his jacket and cut, her head resting on his shoulder, curled into his lap like a frightened little girl while he held her. She clung to him so tightly in fact, her fingers were numb and her knuckles white.

They stayed that way for hours. No one spoke. No one moved. The only sound was that of the gas burning cremator and the box within. Alex had gone still long ago, twitching and jumping when the sound of Piney's burning bones cracked and popped from the intense heat. Every time she did, Opie held her tighter. His chin rested on top of her head, his cheeks wet with the tears she'd forced him to release, but he was still. He needed to hold onto her, onto something while everything else threatened to choke him.

Scooter came in when Piney was gone. Maybe there was a timer that dinged, who knew? No one heard anything. He wisely didn't remark on the young woman in Opie's lap as he told them he had to finish the task. Jax was the first to leave, wanting the air and wanting to give Opie and Alex a second together.

About ten more minutes passed when Alex finally pushed back from Opie and stood. He did too, watching her carefully. She looked lost, her gaze moving around the concrete floor of the funeral home's back room. Her eyes were puffy and red rimmed, they were still glassy too despite the only remaining tears rested on either her lashes or cheeks. She didn't know what to do for a moment before she abruptly turned and left. Opie slowly walked after her at his own pace after Scooter informed him on when he could pick up his father's ashes.

Jax was standing out in front of the funeral home at his bike smoking another cigarette when Alex emerged. Tears still stained her cheeks, but there was little else that let the man know she had broken down a little while ago. He flicked the cigarette and walked quickly to her side, grabbing her shoulders gently in his hands. She looked so much more broken now than before, still damaged from the last few days and wiped out completely by the sight of Piney.

"Alex, look at me."

Her eyes moved to him, but she didn't seem to realize she was looking at the man. She looked like a zombie, vacant and emotionless. His brow creased sadly at the tears clinging to her lashes, her face expressionless.

Opie came walking out a moment after her, making it straight to his bike. He grabbed his helmet and was about to put it on before Jax spoke.

"Are you going to tell me what the hell happened to Piney?" Jax asked the man, sensing Alex couldn't speak and Unser wasn't going to say anything.

Without warning, Opie turned with his gun aimed at Jax.

"You should know." He snapped.

Jax shot back from his brother with his hands up.

"The hell are you talking about?"

"Clay." Opie yelled. "Clay killed my old man."

Alex snapped into reality as though just realizing what was happening.

"What?" she asked loudly in a hoarse voice. Her head shot to Jax. "Is that true?"

"No. I…"

"Bullshit! Did you know?" Opie growled. "Did you know?!"

"No Ope!" Jax yelled back desperately. "God, no."

Opie's brow pulled together tightly, his aim shaking with grief. Jax just wanted to keep the man calm.

"If Clay did this, then it's a Club issue." He said calmly. "We have to take it to the table."

"What table? You're out, remember?" Opie asked defeated. Everything came rushing back to him, everything from the passed few years and it hurt worse than he thought possible. "Clay killed my wife, and now my father. He has to die."

Jax just stared horrified at his friend while Alex walked forward. She approached the enraged Opie without fear, somehow knowing the lion of a man wouldn't hurt her. He looked down at her with a pained expression, his gun still aimed at Jax. She put her hand gently on it and forced him to lower the weapon. Opie looked confused when she put her hands on his cheeks and held his face.

"You kill that motherfucker." She growled with animosity, her eyes watering again and her voice cracking. "You hear me?"

Opie managed a weak nod, somehow feeling better now that she told him to do it as he looked her in the eyes. Jax couldn't believe what he was hearing. Alex was giving the man permission to go on a shooting spree and she couldn't care less about it.

With another steadying nod to the young woman holding his face so tenderly and the silent conversation they shared, the large man's hand moved. He fired, blowing out Jax's rear tire before getting on his bike and speeding off.

"He's gonna kill him." Jax snapped at Alex in disbelief as Opie disappeared down the street..

She turned to him, meeting his eyes without a hint of sentiment.

"Good." She answered emotionlessly.

Everyone had gone insane. Jax couldn't believe it. Everyone was nuts and he had to stop them from doing something horrible.

He rushed to Unser, trying to start the truck with little luck before he took the hearse. He didn't bother asking Alex. From her reaction alone, he knew there's no way she would let him take her car.

Jax sped off towards the Club House, knowing that's where Clay was and knowing that's where Opie was headed. He didn't know Alex was behind him, not even after he ran into the car at the stop light. She wasn't going to let Jax stop this. Clay had to die and with every fiber of her being she knew it. The problem was she was going to get there much later then them, especially now that Jax inadvertently blocked the way with a damn wreck.

Ignoring any pain she was causing in her leg at the pressure of driving erratically, Alex found another way and pulled up to Teller-Marrow. When she got there she heard a gunshot. Alex slammed on her brakes and rushed into the Club House as fast as she could to see Clay barely breathing, bleeding with Jax at his side. Her brow furrowed when she saw Opie on the floor, his arm bleeding and the man unmoving. Rage surged through her as she lunged for the gun on the table.

"Jax move." She demanded, holding the weapon unsteadily in her left hand.

The man turned and saw her aiming a gun at Clay.

"Alex don't."

He held up his hand as though that was enough.

"He has to die." She said through clenched teeth, the tears returning. "Everything is _his_ fault. Everything!"

"Take care of Ope." He told her as calmly as he could. "You don't need to do this."

Alex looked over at the man on the floor and weighed her options. She wanted to kill Clay, she wanted him to suffer if he was the one that shot Piney, but Opie was more important to her. With an angry growl, Alex threw the gun down on the table and rushed to his side. He was out cold, unconscious.

She didn't hear the others doing whatever the hell it was they were doing and she didn't care. Opie was groaning as he came to. She grabbed a random towel resting near the table and wrapped it around his arm. He cringed at the pain of it.

With the shock of pain his injury induced, Opie was brought out of his stupor. He looked up to see Alex staring worriedly at him until he could focus. Her expression soon shifted to hurt and when he heard more gurgling from Clay, he knew why. The son of a bitch was still alive.

He shot up from his spot on the floor; his head aching intensely from Jax's hit. He wanted to end it. He wanted to fill Clay with holes but he couldn't. Jax took away that option for now because he wanted to put a bullet through Opie's arm instead. Hesitantly and still too filled with rage to form his objection, the small group walked out of the Club House dragging Opie and Alex along with them. When they made their way outside, she put him in her car. Jax came up.

"Give me the keys."

She didn't care, long pass that point, and threw him her keys. The three got in and headed down the road before the EMS team got there. Alex sat in the back with Opie, keeping pressure on his wound as best she could while Jax stared at the two through the rear view mirror. They rode in silence for a while before Opie spoke.

"I'm gonna kill him." He said simply.

Jax should have been surprised by his words but wasn't, only that it took so long for him to say them.

"No, you're going to let me find out what the hell happened." Jax said sternly.

"Talk to your mother." He snapped angrily.

Jax shot around to look at the man in the backseat, disbelief written across his features. Opie sighed.

"Gemma and Unser knew Clay killed my old man and tried to pass it off as a cartel hit."

"How do you know this?" Alex asked quietly, voicing what Jax wanted to say.

"Unser followed me to the cabin last night when I found him."

"Jesus Christ." Jax growled, his anger and frustration with the situation growing by the second. "Look, I'm going to drop you off at the Emergency Care off Crane, okay? Lyla pick you up?"

"Yeah man."

"Good. I need you to keep your head down. I'll tell the guys you're at the cabin." He continued. "Alex, I need to borrow your car for a little…"

"Wait." Alex interjected quickly. Jax silenced himself and glanced into the mirror to see her eyes slowly travel up to Opie. "Last night?"

The man didn't speak, instead electing to break their eye contact. Alex's glare deepened.

"Last night?" she repeated. Visions of Opie racing into her house, of him hugging her and nearing tears, fragments of him telling her it was Lyla all surged through her mind. "Last night!"

Jaw and Opie cringed at the shrill shriek that echoed in the small space.

"You fucking found out last night!?" she yelled again.

Alex's voice began to shake again, the tears returning without inhibition. He knew. Opie knew since last night and he didn't tell her. He lied to her. And when he refused to meet her eyes, her level of anger and sense of betrayal grew to a staggering amount.

"Stop the fucking car." She snapped, pushing herself away from Opie.

"Alex, I can't…"

"I said let me out of the god damn car Jackson!"

He wanted to tell her they were more than ten miles from her house but she didn't want to hear it. Alex wanted to get away from Opie. She didn't want to be sitting next to him, she didn't want to look at him, and she sure as hell didn't want to talk to him.

Cutting across the street faster than was legal, Jax pulled over to the side of the road. Without hesitation, Alex got out of the backseat and started storming off towards the sidewalk as fast as she could. Jax couldn't see her walk off like that and wanted to convince her to get back inside. He pushed open the driver's side door and stood, yelling for her attention over the roof of the car.

"Alex stop. Get back in the car. Let me take you home."

"No!" she snapped angrily, spinning on her heel and giving the man as much of her anger as she could. "Just fucking leave."

"Get your ass back in the car." He sighed, not trusting the woman shaking with rage by herself. "I'm not going to leave you here by yourself."

"The fuck do you care Teller? You're fucking leaving already remember? What's the difference between here and anywhere else?" she asked with the same anger that had marred her words so far. "Just go and take that son of a bitch with you."

He couldn't force himself to say anything after that. Calling her back to the car wouldn't happen, not after that. She was too angry to hear reason, too angry for anything other than the long walk home.

Reluctantly and knowing Opie needed medical attention, Jax got back into the car and drove off again. Alex never, in all their years of friendship, had ever spoken to or about either of her brothers with such hatred, but that was all Jax saw in her eyes. She was beyond angry.

Alex made it to the corner of the street before the tears became too much and she collapsed onto a bus bench. She began to sob into her hands as she shielded herself from anyone that might see her. There wasn't a soul around, but she did it regardless.

Piney was gone. Jax was leaving. And Opie couldn't even tell her the truth. She felt alone now. For the first time in so long she felt alone and hated it. She left Lodi to get away from the loneliness. That's why she came home to Charming, but it was so much worse here.

She didn't know how to deal with the pain and betrayal she felt. Clay killed Donna. Clay killed Piney. Clay tried to kill Opie. Jax was leaving with Tara. Jax was leaving Alex in return. Opie lied to her about Piney. Every one of them cut her deep whether they meant to or not and in doing so added to the scars she already had.

She was happy for Jax leaving yesterday. Hell, she was happy for him earlier today when she saw Tara. She knew how much he wanted normal and a chance for his boys so despite how much it hurt, she understood. But not now. Now it felt like abandonment. It felt like he was running away from her.

And then Piney being dead. She talked to him just a few days ago. She talked to him and told him he had to stick around, he had to stay here so he could be a grandpa to her kids if she ever had any. But Clay killed him. That was a whole different form of betrayal right there. She didn't know how to take that, a man she'd known her whole life killing someone she considered her father. It was almost too much to understand. And then there was Opie.

Opie.

How could he not tell her something like this? How could he come to her house, act the way he had, and not tell her Piney was gone? Then instead he tells her it was because Lyla split. Didn't he think enough of Alex to tell her the truth? Why bother lying? Piney was her dad too. He helped raise her too. This was something she deserved to know and had the right, but evidently Opie didn't agree. Evidently Opie took it upon himself to decide she wasn't good enough to know. He didn't even want her there at the funeral home with him and Jax. Did he ever plan on telling her, or was he going to sidestep the issue until there was a funeral and he had no choice? Maybe he was just going to let someone else tell her and not bother with it at all.

Those were the thoughts running through her head as she sat and cried in the middle of nowhere all alone. Those thoughts were the only thing there when everything else was gone. She had no family now. She had no friends. She had nothing. With a clearer head Alex may realize otherwise, but not now.

She didn't know how long she sat there; comforted by the sounds of her own sobs, but eventually Alex found the strength to call a cab company. There was only one and they weren't ever open too late, but she managed to get someone to come and get her. She just wanted to go home. She wanted to go home, crawl into a bottle and hopefully never come out again.


	25. Chapter 25

**You guys are absolutely wonderful! ~Enjoy!**

Burnt and Purged Away

Pt. 3

Alex stood in her bathroom at the house staring into the vanity mirror. Her face was pink, her makeup smeared from rubbing her eyes, her eyes themselves swollen and red and tears staining her cheek. She winced and groaned as she unbuttoned her shirt and slid it off. Her brows came together at the sight of the white patch on her shoulder. She sighed, lightly pulling on the gauze and tape to get it off. She bit back each hiss when the stitches were pulled, the skin going taught from the adhesive. She welcomed the pain this time.

Alex scowled at it. It was pink and swollen for obvious reasons but healing. The dark black threaded stitches were in stark contrast to the color of her skin and just added to the horrible sight. She sighed her disappointment, running her fingers through her hair before turning to the shower.

When the water was finally as hot as she knew she could stand, Alex shed the rest of her clothing and pulled free the bandages on her legs. She knew the water was going to sting the barely scabbed injuries, but she felt dirty. Without doing anything, Alex felt disgusting and wanted to rid herself of the feeling as quickly as she could.

As steam billowed from the showerhead, Alex pulled the glass shower door open and stepped inside. The water burned her skin and made her wince, turning her fair flesh pink the instant it touched her. But she didn't move away. She didn't step aside or add cooler water. She stood beneath the showerhead and let every ounce of the scalding liquid saturate her from head to toe. Alex had hoped it would help her feel but in the end it didn't. She was too numb from everything to feel the burn.

Alex finally rested her back against the cold tile wall opposite the showerhead and began to slide down. She slid until she was sitting on the floor of her shower and brought her knees to her chest. The cut didn't pull like she thought, then again if it did she didn't notice. Alex cradled them to her chest and buried her face into her knees when the tears began again.

~~~!~~~

It took Opie longer than he thought it should to get out of the house. Like he said, Lyla had come to pick him up. He told her to take him to the shop for his bike but that was all and it was getting on her last nerve.

"Tell me what's going on Ope." She snapped halfheartedly.

"I need a favor."

She found herself glaring lightly at the man.

"What?"

"I need you to look after the kids until I get home tonight. Mary's pissed." He said in a low, emotionless voice.

"The hell's going on?"

This time her words were more desperate than angry. After picking him up from the hospital with a hole in his arm, Opie had done little if any talking. In fact, this seemed to be the most he'd offer in ways of conversation.

Opie sat in his spot wondering if he should say anything at all. He didn't want to. He didn't want to tell her about Piney or anything Club related. He kept Lyla in the dark for a reason. It was bad enough he was going to have to tell everyone about it tomorrow. He was already going to have to call his remaining family, ironically those at his house now, about Piney's death.

So, he lied. He lied to her like he had their entire relationship. He told her something that a few days ago would have been true, but not anymore. Now, it was his scapegoat.

"Alex's old man paid her a visit a few days ago." He said somberly. "Beat the shit out of her."

"Oh my god." She gasped as she turned into the driveway.

"I just want to check in on her, make sure she's alright."

The story was true enough, but again it was a couple of days ago and the threat was already dealt with. But Lyla didn't need to know that. In his mind, she didn't need to know anything that had happened when she wasn't around.

Eventually Lyla pulled up to Teller-Marrow, but before they could pull into the lot, Opie told her to stop. His brows pulled together curiously at the sight of his bike pulled up to the curb before the gates. Lyla slowly pulled over to the side of the road and parked.

"I'll be home in a couple hours." He told her, opening the door to leave.

"Yeah. Okay. Just call me."

Opie nodded and closed the door before getting onto his bike. He wondered briefly how it had gotten out onto the street and figured Unser must have moved it so he could get it back without the crime scene twenty yards away. Maybe he'd remember to thank the man, but probably not.

Turning the bike on, Opie made his way towards Alex's house. He hadn't lied about that, only the reason. He had to talk to her, to try and make her understand. In his crumbling world, he needed his rock to stay strong and not turn her back on him too. He couldn't bear the thought of her leaving him too.

~~~~!~~~~

Opie pulled up to Alex's house a few minutes after leaving Teller-Marrow. He pulled up nearly to her front porch and turned the bike off. She was home, evidence of it everywhere. Her front porch light was on, a few lights in the house were on too, so he knew she was here. Her car was gone, but he assumed Jax still had it.

Cautiously, Opie stepped up onto her front porch. He didn't knock at first, instead putting his ear to her door to see if he heard anything within. The TV was on, another indication she was home. Steeling himself for the fight he knew was coming, Opie knocked. Nothing. He knocked again and like before there was nothing. And he meant nothing. There wasn't rustling from behind the door of someone peeking through the peephole. There wasn't a muting television or someone turning it up. There wasn't even the sound of someone approaching the door. There was literally nothing on the other side.

His brows pulled together as he knocked again, much harder than before and called her name. As the two previous times there wasn't a response. Opie began to worry something might have happened. She was angry when she left, beyond mad and he feared what might have happened in the mean time. If she wasn't home, that was another problem all together, but if she was here and everything inside was deathly silent… he didn't want to think about what that'd mean.

The only thing he could think of that would help calm him, if even a little bit, would be to call the young woman's phone. He didn't expect her to answer but even if she hung up on him it meant she was okay.

As the phone in his hand rang, Opie heard the faint ringing coming from within the house. She was home. There was no denying it now. None of them left to go anywhere without a cell phone. They couldn't afford to, and Alex was no different. But as it rang on without interruption, Opie let his mind wander, soon filling with fear.

Unwilling to keep waiting, Opie hung up and plunged his phone back into his pocket. There was a spare key around there somewhere, one he knew she kept at all times. His hand came up and searched the top of the doorjamb and felt nothing. He glanced in the mailbox nailed to the brick wall and there was nothing in there either. Fear was bordering on panic. The image of her from the last time he'd seen her was prominent in his mind and it made him worry she'd done something stupid.

Opie was ready to break down the door if he had to. Sure she'd be angrier with him for the damage, only adding to the laundry list he seemed to have going, but he would rather know for sure then let his imagination keep taunting him. Though, in a stroke of genius he'd applaud himself for later, Opie tried the doorknob first. It was unlocked. He internally thanked that one iota of common sense that voiced itself before he took the door off its hinges because he would have without hesitation.

The large man barreled into the house and saw nothing. Alex wasn't sleeping on the couch, she wasn't in the kitchen and when she didn't charge into the living room to yell at him he began to worry again. For a moment, no matter how brief, Opie feared Emmett had gotten a hold of her until he remembered he put a bullet through the man's skull.

As he struggled to figure out where he should look for her first, Opie noticed the sound of running water. Slowly the young man walked towards the bathroom and sure enough she was inside and in the shower from the sounds of it. Steeling himself for even more yelling, Opie knocked lightly.

"Alex." He called, the young woman not responding. His brow tensed. "Alex." He called again, this time louder.

Like before, she didn't answer. Opie tested the doorknob and realized it wasn't locked. Hardening himself for what may lie behind the stock wooden door, he opened it slowly.

He expected a couple of things. He expected more yelling for barging in on her, but she didn't. He had expected to be hit in the face with steam, but he wasn't. There was nothing but normal air in there which meant the water wasn't hot. Worry began to surge through him as he stepped in, her shower just behind the door. Alex was sitting beneath the stream, curled into herself as the water hit her in the head and her body was shaking.

He could see her trembling beneath the stream of water. Ordinarily, Opie might have been more apprehensive to be staring at her while she was naked, but to be honest he didn't see anything indecent. Alex was covered more than most women wearing a bathing suit, shielding her body beneath her long raven hair and with her knees at her chest. But regardless of whether or not he could 'see' her, the scene was terrifying.

"Jesus." He muttered to himself, stepping forward quickly.

He swung open the glass door and touched the water. It was icy cold, long since having lost any heat she might have begun with. Opie turned it off quickly and stepped to his left, grabbing a towel. He threw it over her shoulders, Alex shaking intensely from the cold as she continued crying into her knees.

When he put the towel over her shoulders, she managed to look up. Her eyes were red and if she wasn't sopping wet he knew he'd have seen the evidence of crying left behind. Alex's brows were pulled together tightly as she shook. It was like she had just spent the passed day or more in a freezer, her lips tinting a pale shade of blue. The cold water added a horrifying hue to her whole body, but never more evident than in her face.

"Shit," he sighed, leaning in and picking her up. "Come on."

He struggled not to drop her when he stood on the slick tile floor before he grabbed hold of her well enough to move. Opie navigated his way out of the bathroom and towards her room, knowing he had to get her warmer as soon as possible. He bit back the pain of picking her up with his injured arm, more determined to help her than worry about the gunshot wound.

When he made it to her room, Opie sat her down gently on the bed with her legs hanging off the side and immediately reached for the other side of the blanket, pulling it over her body. She was trembling intensely, her teeth chattering while every muscle stood on end. He probably would have enjoyed her being naked in his arms if he wasn't so worried about her.

Opie tucked her in as tightly as he could as Alex sat on the edge of her bed. He rubbed her arms through the blankets like she might keel over from hypothermia any second. To be honest, the bluish lips didn't inspire much confidence. His hand came up and cupped her cheek, trying to feel the temperature of her skin. It was cold, not cool, cold.

"Fuck Alex," he muttered, trying to force her to look at him. "What the hell were you doing?"

She looked at him as well as she could, still shaking intensely from the cold. Sadness took hold of her features instantly and she began to cry. She buried her face in her blanket covered hands and just kept crying. It was the only thing her body let her do it seemed. Opie's heart broke for her.

Apparently she wasn't as strong as they had all thought. She couldn't handle another father dying. She couldn't handle someone else she trusted being his murderer. She couldn't handle the hell that was raining down on her and she couldn't handle being alone. Rationally she knew Opie had it worse, probably felt worse, but she wasn't rational at the moment.

"You can't do this shit." Opie suddenly snapped.

She looked up confused at the man over the edge of her blanket, not understanding the situation. He leaned forward and all but buried his face in the thick blanket covering her legs, Opie dropping to his knees at her feet. His arms snaked around her waist and held her as he started shaking too.

"You have to tell me what to do." He said.

She couldn't tell if he was crying or close to it but it seemed to be enough to snap her out of her own tears. Her body was relaxing and she was starting to warm up so her mind was following. She was suddenly aware that Opie was breaking down just like she had.

Maybe she should have wondered how he got there. She probably should have been concerned about him storming into her bathroom too, but she wasn't. She had been sitting under the water in her shower for so long, part of her wondered if she would have been able to get out if he hadn't shown up. And Alex probably should have still been mad at the man, but she wasn't. She didn't know what she was other than numb.

And yet, as numb as she was, seeing Opie break woke her from her own self pity. Alex sat up a bit, enough for Opie to look up at her. She took his face in her hands and forced him to meet her eyes. They were both sad, they were both lost and she wanted to make him feel better. It was the only thing she was really good at, comforting people she cared about when they were hurting.

"Hey," she whispered sweetly. "It's okay."

Tears slowly moved down his cheeks before disappearing in his beard.

"I don't know what to do." He told her in a breaking voice.

Slowly, Alex slid off the bed and to the ground in between her bed frame and Opie. He barely moved, only enough for her to fall into his lap as she settled, pulling the massive blanket down along with her. Any anger she felt for the man about not telling her Piney had died was gone. The only thing she could see now was Opie tearing in her hands.

Alex leaned forward and kissed his forehead. She held her lips to his skin, her eyes closing as she cried a few more tears. Her heart broke for the man, for her friend, for her brother. She loved Opie and seeing him this way was almost too much to take.

She pulled back and looked him directly in the eyes.

"Just breathe." She told him softly. "Just breathe." Alex's voice was wavering as she wrapped her arms around Opie, encircling him within her blanket like it would protect them from everything, her forehead gently pressed to his. "It's all we can do, just breathe."

She felt him nod, his hands snaking around her waist and holding it firmly in his massive palms. Alex fought the wince from his cold hands, feeling them on bare skin, but didn't let go of him as she trembled with sorrow again.

"I'm sorry." She found herself muttering. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to…"

Opie shook his head forcing her to stop apologizing. But she did feel bad. All of the things she thought, the things she called him, they were only out of anger. Now having him back made them all go away.

Eventually Alex pulled away from Opie, putting mere inches between them so she could look him in the eyes. She refused to let go of the man, her arms still looped over his shoulders while he held her waist, and stared at him. They were both broken.

The young woman found herself staring into his worn and saddened face. It was unbearable. As selfish as it sounded, part of her was glad she hadn't been here for him when Donna died. She didn't know if she could take it.

As Opie stared at her with the same look he received from her, he felt Alex's hand come up and tenderly cup his jaw line, her thumb moving along his cheek as reassuringly as it could. His brows came together a bit tighter than before.

"I'm so sorry baby." She whispered, the words barely leaving her lips.

Opie barely shook his head again, silently telling her none of it was her fault. He didn't know what she was apologizing for, but it meant she felt guilty. He didn't think Alex had anything to feel guilty about. But there was something he wanted to say, something he wanted to tell her and make sure she understood.

"Don't _ever_ scare me like that again." He told her sternly, amazed his voice worked despite scolding her. After watching her walk away from him, Opie wanted to ensure she wouldn't do it again. "You hear me?"

"I won't." Alex answered quickly.

He breathed easier, if even a little, and leaned forward again to connect their foreheads. It was intimate and endearing, being closer to her than he would have been ordinarily and something they just always did. He never knew why, only that it became a thing. And now was no different, their eyes closing from the contact as they leaned into one another.

"I need you." He muttered before he could stop himself.

"I need you too." She replied in the same soft tone.

Opie's grip on her waist tensed marginally. The action caused Alex to gasp from his proximity to her scar and the ribs that were still bruised. In that split second, Opie moved. When Alex gasped, she took in a sharp breath, her lips parting briefly before Opie closed the distance between them and kissed her.

Alex's heart began to race frantically within her chest at the sensation of his lips pressed against hers, his beard tickling her chin. A bolt of electricity had shot through her body, tensing every muscle she possessed, forcing her to sit a bit straighter than before. Alex all but froze when it happened but slowly, realizing who it was, she relaxed into his grip. This was Opie. This was _her_ Opie.

Opie began to pull her into his lap, securing her as close to his body as he could and refused to let her go. He wasn't going to let her go despite the young woman unwilling to leave. All he knew was that he wanted this, he needed it.

~~!~~

**Hmmm... How far should this go? Let me know what you guys think! **


	26. Chapter 26

**You want it, you got it! Sexy sexness. :) Hopefully you'll awe and oooooo. Hahahaha. Enjoy!**

Part 4

Hesitantly, Opie pulled back from Alex, reluctantly releasing her lips from his own. The small kiss forced the two to breathe heavier than they rightfully should have. The split second was more emotionally charged than either had expected.

Finally separated, Opie could look at her again and gauge whether or not he'd done something foolish. When he managed to open his eyes, he noticed it took Alex a moment longer before she could pry open her heavy lids. The two stared at one another, no discernable emotion on either face. Forcing himself to break their gaze, Opie's eyes began to move along her features, taking in her flushed cheeks and parted lips. Within an instant he noticed the cut again and froze.

The cut on her bottom lip may have been off to the side but it was still sizable. The wound was healing, perhaps halfway there already, but it hurt him to see it. It reminded him of what had happened and the images of her being smacked around, whether he saw it physically or not, surfaced in his mind. He began to feel a pit grow in his stomach, guilt that he might be taking advantage of her.

Alex had been watching Opie's eyes graze her features, her heartbeat quickening with each passing second until he came to pause on her lips. She thought it a good thing until his brows came together. She knew then he was eying the gash. Her own eyebrows furrowed marginally at the action. Kissing wouldn't hurt. She knew it wouldn't because smiling didn't, but she could tell that's what was bothering him. She wanted to put an end to the pity she saw in his face.

She moved forward quickly, stopping before meeting his lips and moved back hesitantly, like she was unsure she wanted to kiss him again in the first place. The action brought Opie's eyes to her own and away from her lip like she wanted. Alex repeated the action and this time Opie moved forward the single millimeter to close the distance and caught her bottom lip gently between his. Alex sighed sweetly into the action and melted into his arms again.

Opie's arm snaked up the young woman's back, his fingers tensing into her skin before cupping the back of her head. He laced his fingers into her hair and secured them there, making sure she couldn't leave him, cradling her to his lips. When he deepened the kiss, Alex couldn't fight the shivers that surged through her.

Despite wanting this for a while it seemed, at least as long as she could remember, Alex never assumed it would _actually_ happen. There was a big difference between dreaming of something and then experiencing it. And as fantasies went, reality seemed to be leaving it in the dust.

Without warning, Opie moved suddenly. Alex gasped, breaking their contact when Opie swung backwards. He rocked back onto his feet before standing from his crouched position. Though she knew he wouldn't drop her, the unexpected movement forced her to cling to him all the tighter. Opie looked at the young woman in his arms with an arrogant smile. Alex glowered playfully when he began to walk.

When he felt the edge of her bed hit his knees, Opie slowly began to bend forward. His eyes never broke from hers as he moved the two of them onto her bed. Alex fell gently into the plush surface, Opie tenderly laying himself on top of her, sure not to crush the young woman beneath his massive frame. She gasped once again, but this time it was more from the feeling of his clothing, denim jeans and all, pressing against her bare skin.

Opie found himself staring at her again without moving. There were so many things about this situation he never thought would happen or felt possible. This was Alex. _Alex_. And he was surprisingly okay with that. He was better than 'okay' actually, far better. If simply being near Alex made him feel normal and happy, a small part of Opie wondered what being _with_ Alex would make him feel.

Like before, Opie knelt down and brought his lips to Alex's and received a warmer welcome than before. Her fingers gripped his hair, tugging on it lightly when she formed a fist causing the man to inadvertently groan while her legs wrapped around his waist on instinct, Opie's tongue dueling with her own. There was a desperate undertone to their actions, the need to feel something other than pain, the desire both held for the other with or without their knowledge, but their movements weren't rushed or erratic. In fact, surprisingly enough, they were slow and deliberate.

Opie's free hand found its way to her thigh, holding it firmly within his massive palm as they kissed. Part of him wanted to stay like this, kissing her being almost enough to satisfy him. Almost. Alex didn't want to remain PG as they were and truly neither did he, but Opie wasn't coherent enough to do much more than what he already was. He was still trying to wrap his mind around the partner he found himself with. He couldn't help but silently fear Alex would disappear if he pressed his luck.

He found his faculties and the strength to react when Alex's hands shifted to his shirt. He felt her grab for the fabric, gathering it within her fingers and began to pull. Opie thanked whatever God still gave a damn about him that he had the wherewithal to move.

Opie struggled to part from the young woman, again fearing she would disappear and he would end up waking from some kind of dream, that somehow this was a lie. He couldn't explain how grateful he was when she was still beneath him as he pushed himself onto his knees. For the first time, Opie seemed to realize Alex wasn't clothed.

Forgetting entirely about the scene in the shower and his fear of her becoming hypothermic, Opie was suddenly confronted with Alex lying nestled within her down comforter and the same towel he'd covered her in, all wrapped around her in a mess of fabric. He froze again, his eyes glazing over as he examined her and the pink hue that seemed to slowly migrate from her cheeks to her chest. And then he saw them.

It didn't matter what the situation seemed to be, it was only a matter of time before her previous life came screaming forward again. This was the first time he'd been able to see the extent of her injuries, the circular scars dotting her skin from the bullets that ripped through her chest, the knife wound not too far away. Ice sputtered through his veins and without knowing it, his face twisted into sorrow for her.

Alex was staring at the man through heavy lids, watching as he looked over everything exposed. Her heart was beating erratically in her chest, her breathing labored with the hopes of what was to come when his brows pulled together. In an instant, she saw pity flash through his eyes and refused to let it linger.

"Opie." She muttered, her voice thicker than it rightfully should have been.

Her voice broke through the haze Opie found himself in, forcing him to meet her face again and snap himself into the situation. The pity lingered, the sadness for her having to live through whatever Hell she'd endured by Emmett, but determination dominated it. Opie was going to make her happy, as happy as she had him if he could.

Without hesitation, Ope reached the back of his shirt between his shoulder blades and pulled it off and over his head, throwing it somewhere in the room. He dipped down again, reclaiming her lips and was rewarded by a soft coo. Alex couldn't help it with the affection combined with the heat from his bare chest against her. She wrapped her arms around his neck as best she could when her ears were met with deep thunks. If Alex cared, she'd have realized they were his boots, but she didn't.

The passion and impatience was growing by the millisecond to an unimaginably annoying level when Opie finally struggled with his jeans. He never hated wearing a belt buckle more than he did at that moment, but with practiced movements he was able to release its hold. The last two articles of clothing were so much easier to remove, his jeans oversized and hanging low already, his boxers almost the same. Soon enough, there was nothing between them.

A moment passed, if that, before Alex suddenly cried out, breaking her lips from Opie's. She slammed her eyes shut from the intrusion, the pain of it unexpected. Opie bit back a groan, burying his face in the nape of Alex's neck to steady his swimming head. No matter what people say, despite the possible fun involved in sleeping with porn stars, there is a difference. What's the term? _Throwing a hotdog down a hallway?_ Yeah, regrettably, Opie knew how that felt which was a surprising feat given the man's size. He was a six foot, four inch tall Sasquatch. Even if he wasn't in proportion, he'd likely still be better endowed than most men.

Alex's fingernails bit into the man's shoulders as she clung to him, trying to will herself to breath deeper than gasps, but it wasn't happening. It'd been nearly a year since she had sex with anyone and honestly, Emmett wasn't impressive. So it was unexpected, the good kind, but unexpected nonetheless.

Time held no sway with the pair as each of them struggled to keep a handle on their own spinning world. A few minutes passed, maybe more, before Opie dared move. He started slow, having no choice, and heard Alex's breath hitch when he had. Her fingernails dug deeper into his shoulder blades if it were possible.

Every time Opie moved, no matter how agonizingly slow, Alex gasped into his ear. He relished in the sound and the sensation, the young woman dominating every sense. Opie struggled to breathe, to gain any control over himself and the situation. He was suddenly thrust back to sixteen, feeling as though he were losing his virginity all over again. Considering it was fifteen years later, the circumstances were foreign enough to cause a pause. Then again, his hesitation didn't last long.

Eventually, Opie found his rhythm and was rewarded further by a chorus of soft gasps and moans. Alex couldn't focus on anything. Her body didn't hurt anymore. Her heart was broken. Nothing that had happened in the last five years held any sway on her in those few moments she had Opie. Years of wondering, dreaming and fantasizing was suddenly brought to fruition and she didn't want it to end.

Opie grasped her hip firmly in his hand, pinning it to the plush mattress below as he increased his power. Her gasps and babbling pleas became louder than before to match the new intensity, her nails finally breaking his skin. The muscles in her body were tense, stiffened from anticipation and desire. The sensations Opie was awakening within her were so unexpected, Alex wasn't sure what to do save hold on for dear life.

Without warning, Alex's body began to shake as Opie pushed her over the edge. She buried her face into his neck, disappearing behind his long locks and beard as all air seemed to be sucked from her lungs. Her body trembled, her mind blissfully emptying as he coaxed every last wave of her euphoria from her before he succumbed as well.

Opie had been struggling to contain himself, something he wasn't proud to admit even internally. He prided himself on his stamina but the situation he found himself in with Alex consumed his senses and created the perfect storm. Perhaps later on he would hold his own and enjoy their time together for longer than he had. Then again, he didn't care either. If he had the chance to call her his just once it was plenty.

He felt her shake beneath him as her body calmed, his own slowly doing the same. Opie resisted the wish to collapse, knowing his massive frame would crush the young woman still panting beneath him. The only thing his body seemed to have the strength for was falling to the side.

The sheets and blankets felt cold against his skin as he rolled onto his back beside Alex. Though that feeling was welcomed, the lack of body her body heat wasn't. Slowly and blindly, Opie reached for Alex's hand and pulled her gently towards him. Alex barely had the wherewithal to realize she was being guided towards the young man until she curled into the side of his body, her head resting on his chest.

Alex giggled tiredly at the sound of his heartbeat. It was frantic and struggling its best to calm down to a tolerable rhythm. She found herself lying there in utter disbelief with what had just transpired. Alex replayed the events over and over in her mind despite having just lived them, feeling the butterflies arise in her stomach once more. A smile spread across her lips at the first bit of happiness she'd felt in what seemed like forever.

Opie lay on his back with an arm propped beneath his head, the other laced over Alex's shoulder lightly tracing lines up and down her arm with his fingers. The two remained that way, letting their bodies calm as much as they could given their proximity to one another. Whether they'd say it out loud or not, there was always a minimum level of tension between the two and even though some of it was just relieved, some would always remain.

"So," Alex finally breathed after she could calm herself enough for speech. "That's what that's like."

Opie could hear the smile in her voice. It caused him to grin internally with pride.

"I swear that's never happened before." He replied in a thick voice.

Alex laughed before she could stop herself, burying her face in her hands and shaking her head. She felt Opie's chuckle rumble within his barrel chest before it left his lips. She knew what he meant, teasing about the 'sprint' their excursion amounted to, but honestly, she wasn't certain she could have sustained much more. It was sensory overload in the best way, a culmination of everything she'd wanted for years.

Later they would forget the joy, the sensation only temporary, and the real world would come screaming back at them. Later they would have to leave the bed and face the truth about their lives, but not now. Now, they could enjoy each other's company, relish in their tryst and take satisfaction in the thought that everything was alright, even if it was a lie.

The two remained as they were, laced around each other and drifting in and out of sleep. As easy as it was for either of them to pass out entirely from the day's events, neither wanted to. They wanted to hold onto that moment as long as they could before it was shattered.

Opie found himself groaning when his cell phone's ring pierced the calm environment. He was content to let it linger, to let it ring as long as it wanted to without bothering to answer when reality came crashing back.

"Fuck." He sighed, burying his face in his free hand.

"Hn?" Alex mumbled, the random sound alluding to her nearly catatonic state.

"That's Lyla."

"Where?" Alex snapped, suddenly shoving herself up from Opie and the bed, regretting it immediately.

With her mind suddenly clear, Alex was able to realize how sore her body had become and the fresh pressure to her shoulder wouldn't be ignored. With a groan at the jolt of pain, Alex clutched her shoulder and fell back flatly onto her back. With a breath or two to steady herself, Alex looked at Opie who seemed surprised by the quick action.

"On the phone." He found the need to say.

"Oh," she mumbled before remembering something she should have known all along. "You're married."

Opie felt a brow rise and nodded slowly, still looking at the young woman to his left. He thought this was something she knew. After all, Alex was at the wedding, gift and all. This wasn't new information, but she seemed to have completely forgotten the entire event. And she had. But at the memory, Alex realized something else was missing. She should have felt guilty but… it wasn't there. Empathy for Lyla took a backseat to Alex's guilt for not feeling enough of it. She knew she should have but it wasn't there. Opie belonged to Alex, not Lyla.

"She's got the kids." He explained, feeling he had to give Alex a reason why the woman would be in his house. To most, it was unneeded, explaining why your wife was at home, but this was a normal situation. "I asked her to watch them when Mary split."

Alex nodded her understanding, her head slowly rolling to face the man. Opie did the same seeing her smile warmly to him.

"You should go be with your babies." She told him softly, even if she didn't want him to go.

Opie's brows twitched marginally. He didn't want to leave either and she could tell, but he couldn't leave Lyla at his house. He almost didn't want to. She could tell he was a bit crestfallen, but as much as both of them wished they didn't have a life outside her house, they did.

"Are you coming over tomorrow?"

A glint of light touched his eyes that made her feel better immediately. Opie nodded.

"Bring Elle and Kenny. They can swim if they want, have some fun." She smiled sweetly.

Opie nodded again and was infinitely grateful for her suggestion. Both of them silently knew tomorrow was going to be the day Opie told everyone about Piney. She wanted his kids to have a good day before they found out yet another person they loved passed away.

"Okay." He said finally.

Alex smiled sweetly again, putting forth the effort to make him feel better even if it was a lie. Sometimes, lying was the best way keep people sane.

Opie slowly leaned forward, pulling Alex to him and kissed her again. She wrapped her arms around the man, receiving him as warmly as she could. Reluctantly, Opie had to pull away or risk getting sucked back into the situation again.

"I love you Opie." She said softly when they parted.

Opie managed weakly to open his eyes to see her staring kindly at him.

"I love you too." He replied, feeling a relief he hadn't expected when the words left his mouth.

Alex let a genuine smile grace her lips.

Eventually and much slower than both knew they should go, Opie pried himself from the bed and began to dress. He didn't want to leave, not even a little bit. He was content to stay with Alex in her bed until next month if it was possible, but she wouldn't let him. As much as Alex wanted him to stay behind too, she wanted him with his kids more. She couldn't be selfish when it came to them. They were the only innocents in this fucked up world they called their own.

Opie was making his way towards the front door with Alex close behind, her blanket wrapped tightly around her body. He reached the front door faster than he wanted, turning to Alex and wrapping his arms around her. Alex hugged him tightly, burying her face into his chest, the man doing the same with her hair.

"I'm sorry." He mumbled weakly into her hair.

Alex shook her head, gripping him tighter than before. She knew he was apologizing for everything that'd happened, for not telling her the truth but in the end it didn't matter. Apologizing for it wasn't going to bring Piney back or take away any of the pain of him passing. Apologizing didn't really do anything so she didn't need it.

"I love you Opie," she repeated into his leather. "So much."

He pulled back from her taking her jaw gently in his hands and kissed her again. Alex relaxed into the feeling, still in disbelief about it all when they parted. He looked down at her with the first sign of relief she'd seen in a long, long time.

"Love you too Alex." He said. And he believed it, for the first time in years, he believed it.

Hesitantly Opie forced himself to leave Alex alone in her house. When he was gone, she found herself standing there, unable to make herself return to her room to sleep. Part of her wondered if he'd turn around and come back, but when she realized he wouldn't and shouldn't, she turned to walk down the hall.

It took far too long for her liking to fall back asleep without Opie at her side, even longer when the pain came back. Alex curled onto her side as best she could, gripping the pillow to her chest for security and stared blankly into the darkness of her bedroom. The tears came again at memories of Piney, but her body was too tired to do much of anything else.

So she lay there, silently weeping for the people she lost and those yet to come because if there was one lesson SAMCRO taught you at a young age, _everyone's_ life was on the line. Everyone.


	27. Chapter 27

**Oh you guys are awesome! Thanks so much for sticking with my story, truly.**

Let it Be Pt. 1

Like she suggested, Opie brought Elle and Kenny over to her house around noon. It was still hot outside and more than beautiful enough for them to enjoy themselves playing.

Opie and Alex sat off to the side on the picnic table Alex had beneath the lone tree in her backyard. They sat beside one another, close enough their legs were touching, but that was the extent of their physical contact. Each silently knew neither kid would understand anything further, like real kissing or much else, so they remained as they were.

The large man was leaning back, resting his elbows on the table behind him. He wasn't wearing his cut. It was odd to see Opie without it, the man never far from his leather since he was seventeen years old, and even stranger to see him wearing only a plain t-shirt.

"You look so normal." Alex mused.

Opie turned his head to her and noted the smile.

"Why's that?" he asked, adjusting himself slightly.

Alex shrugged lightly.

"Dad!"

The two on dry land looked out to see Kenny the one that called Opie.

"Yeah bud?"

"Come swimming."

Alex smiled, Opie doing the same.

"Can't man." He replied, holding up his arm. "Doctor's orders."

Both children seemed a bit crestfallen that this time Opie wouldn't be able to join them before their attention shifted to Alex. She gave the same answer, even going so far as to pull the collar of her shirt to the side to show them the bit of gauze she had over her stitches. It wasn't that she needed it now for the most part, but the risk of pulled stitches was still there. Regardless, the stark white had the desired effect. Reluctantly, the two went back to playing sans any adult.

"So," Alex said after a few moments of silence between them. Opie looked to her. "You talk to Jax yet?"

Opie breathed deeply and sighed, shaking his head as his eyes fell back to his kids.

"Not today." He said. "Left me a message though."

"Anything important?"

"Not really. Said he was going to figure shit out today."

"Clay still in critical?"

"Last I heard." He replied with a tense jaw.

She could see how angry he was at the thought of Clay and couldn't help but lace her hand with his. Opie held her hand as firmly as she did his.

"Don't worry sweetie." She said softly. "Maybe he'll die."

Opie let a weak laugh leave his throat at how nonchalantly she talked about Clay's death.

"Yeah," he mused under his breath. "Maybe."

The two went back to silently watching Kenny and Elle play until the sun began to set. Alex went inside with them when Opie's phone rang to make some food for everyone or order a pizza. Honestly, with the amount of food she had in the house, pizza was more likely.

When he came back inside, he told her it was Jax and that he had to go. She understood of course and made sure he knew how much she had to know what was said between the two. Whether Opie wanted to or not, he knew he had no choice in the matter. If he tried to keep it from her, this time his lie might make Alex violent. Considering he was already injured, he wasn't willing to see what she'd do.

Reluctantly he left, apologizing repeatedly for her having to watch his kids. Alex didn't care. Why would she? They were good kids, well behaved and old enough she didn't have to worry about picking them up and they could voice what they needed. Perfect in her mind.

~~!~~

Alex was sitting in the kitchen at her table, able to see the two watching television in her living room eating pizza as her foot bounced repeatedly against the ground. She was antsy and wanted nothing more than to figure out what the hell was going on. She wanted to know who was doing what, had done what and what was going to happen. The longer Opie stayed gone, the worse her thoughts became. She'd be pacing if she could.

Around eight o'clock, nearly forty five minutes after he left, Alex heard the sound of Opie's truck come pulling into her driveway. The bouncing knee stopped immediately as she waited impatiently for the man to appear. It didn't take long before Opie walked through the door, saying hi to his kids before asking where Alex was. The pointed into the kitchen and resumed their movie.

She looked up to see him walking into the kitchen, the large man standing in the doorway. He didn't proceed into it, only leaned against the doorjamb's arch and looked to her with heaviness. It was an increasingly common thing these days, to see the weight of his life slowly clouding his eyes and features.

"What?" she sighed, her tone of voice matching his expression.

He watched her look to him worriedly, leaning against her open palm as her elbow rested on the table top. Opie didn't speak for a moment, glancing back to his kids before fixing his stare on Alex again.

"It was Clay."

Alex's eyes slowly closed, her head dipping into her palm. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Then again… yeah, she could. Everyone knew Clay was territorial and protective more over his name than his Club that it didn't shock her as much as she thought it would. Piney and Clay had problems and if the man stood up to the Prez like she thought he did, then Clay would do anything to put an end to it, even if it meant killing him.

"Jesus." She muttered.

"Yeah." Opie replied, shifting his footing.

Slowly Alex looked back at the despondent man.

"So what happens now? What's Jax going to do?"

"Not a god damn thing."

"What?" she asked, her brows pulling together. "How… why?"

"I don't know." He shrugged weakly. "Some bullshit about it hurting the Club right now, said too many people would get hurt if it came out now, that we should wait until the deal with the Irish is done."

"Fuck the Irish and fuck the Club." Alex snapped angrily, shocking the young man. "He shot…" Alex suddenly lowered her voice, realizing she was bordering on yelling something neither of the children should hear yet. Both hesitantly looked into the living room before she continued. "He killed Piney," she said under her breath, her voice shaking again with the thought. "He needs to pay."

"I know." Opie nodded, agreeing entirely.

"Then what the hell is Jax doing?"

Opie shrugged again. He didn't know what his supposed brother was doing anymore, what the hell was going through the man's mind. He could see the anger beginning to form in the young woman's face, the same he knew he'd felt and was still lingering within himself.

"Asked me to come to Church later."

Alex's attention focused on him again, the confusion returning.

"Are you going?"

"I don't know." He sighed, his shoulders dipping as his focus shifted to the tiled floor. "I don't know how much more of this bullshit I can take."

Sadness touched her face again at the defeat she heard in his voice. His spirit was broken and Alex understood completely.

Opie's eyes were focused on the ground as he thought about his conversation with Jax moments ago, his friend's cryptic explanation and refusal to let him act. What the hell could have been so important Clay was allowed to live? Why couldn't Opie killed the man that destroyed his family?

As he sank deeper and deeper into his thoughts, Alex had risen from her seat and moved towards him, looping her arms around the man's waist and hugged him. A smile might have reached his lips; he wasn't sure to be honest, as Opie looped his arms around her too and held her close.

Slowly but surely the earthquake that threatened to force everything else in his life to crumble began to ebb. Alex struggled to keep the man calm, more for selfish reasons than anything else. She couldn't have him break down because Alex knew she wouldn't be far behind if he did.

"You guys want to stay here tonight?" Alex asked after a while.

Opie leaned back enough for her to look up at him, resting her chin on his chest. She waited for him to answer as he weighed his options.

"I can't do that to you." He told her finally.

Her brows creased as a sarcastic smile formed.

"It's Saturday, getting late and I have the room."

"You sure?"

Alex nodded, shifting her attention to the two kids already being lulled into sleep. They were tired which was to be expected after playing all day and eating pizza. Opie could take them home, sure, but he almost didn't want to move them.

"Yeah." She replied with a shrug. "There's plenty of room here for them."

"Okay," Opie answered hesitantly. "Yeah, that's fine then."

As the night progressed, only about an hour or so passing, Opie and Alex helped the little ones get ready for bed. They let them change into a few oversized SAMCRO shirts Alex had before moving into her bed. It was the biggest on she had, the one she knew neither of them would kick each other out of. The bed in her spare bedroom wasn't large enough for the two kids that evidently kicked like soccer players and Alex wasn't about to force them to sleep on the couch. The adults could take the couch or the other bed.

As Alex and Opie sat on the couch with each other as the kids slept in the other room, Alex's phone rang. She groaned, heaving herself up from her spot nestled within the man's side and reached for the phone on the next cushion over.

"Yeah?" she sighed, falling back into Opie's side.

"_Hey Alex,"_ Jax said after a short silence.

"Hey Jax…" she muttered.

Alex felt Opie's head snap to her and met his stern questioning gaze. The best Alex could muster was a shrug.

"You need something?"

"_Yeah,"_ he said in the same heavy tone. _"You see Ope? He wasn't at Church."_

"Yeah I know. Him and the kids are here with me at my place."

"_How's he doing?"_

She felt her brow rise at the question. Slowly, she pushed herself up to sit on her own, Opie still watching her talk to Jax.

"How do you think he's doing?" she snapped, her anger growing. "Clay's still fucking breathing."

"_Hey!_" he shot back, already feeling bad enough and not needing her to add to it. _"I need him alive."_

"He shot my dad!" she returned, sitting a bit straighter than before. "This is such horse shit. If Clay killed your fucking dad, he'd be in the ground already!"

"_He did kill my father!"_ Jax all but yelled. _"But I don't have a fucking choice! I need Clay to stay alive and I want you guys to get that."_

Sometime during the man's rant, Alex's anger dissipated quickly.

"Clay did what?" she asked as though the two hadn't just been yelling at each other.

"_Forget about it,"_ Jax sighed. _"I just wanted to…"_

"No." Alex interrupted, knowing he'd hang up soon. "I thought that was automotive shit. What do you mean Clay…"

"_Drop it Alex."_ He snapped. Jax couldn't get into it and didn't want her to even know, but couldn't stop himself from saying it during their fight. "_Just tell Ope to call me when he can."_

"Jackie, I…" she paused, not sure what she was supposed to say. She was having trouble wrapping her mind around what Jax had said. How could no one know about that? "Yeah." She finally said, electing instead to ignore the nagging questions. "I'll tell him."

"_Thanks darling. Talk to you later, okay?"_

"Yeah, later."

When the line went dead, Alex tossed the phone back to its previous spot, slowly sinking into Opie again. He was waiting for her to tell him what Jax had said, only hearing a bit of it that was yelled.

"So?" he asked when she hadn't spoken in a while.

"Oh uh, Jax wants you to call him when you can." She said, turning her eyes back to Opie. "Did Clay kill J.T.?"

"What? No." Opie replied, shaking his head. "J.T.'s bike broke down. He was hit by a semi."

"That's what I thought but Jax said Clay was responsible."

"How?"

Alex shrugged. The harder she thought about it and the more it began to make sense, the more Alex's resolve hardened to finish Clay off before he got out of the hospital.

"If it's true, that means Clay's killed two of the founding Nine. His brothers."

"Three." Opie sighed, adjusting himself further into the couch.

Alex's head snapped to him.

"What?"

Opie ran his fingers through his hair before scratching his chin.

"McGee turned rat. Club found out when we went to Ireland couple years ago to find Abel. Clay pushed him off the roof of a warehouse."

Alex's jaw went slack the longer he told her things she didn't know.

"When the hell did this happen?" she snapped.

No one ever said the guys went to Ireland. No one ever said Abel was kidnapped. No one said shit. Then again maybe it wasn't surprising. After something big happened, big enough to rock the Club, once it was passed, that's what it became. Past. Unless it was relevant to their current or future situations, the guys acted like it never happened.

"Bout two years ago." He told her reluctantly. "Long story, but pops makes three."

"How the _fuck_ has Clay not been dealt with yet?" she asked through a tight jaw.

"We were blind to it. Didn't see shit that was going on. Hindsight and all that shit."

Alex felt her heart drop, her stomach turn and knots form in her throat. Opie could see her shaking her head, running her fingers through her hair before bringing her fingers to her mouth.

"What's happening to this Club?" she asked rhetorically.

"I don't know anymore." Opie sighed, letting the arm that had been resting on the back of the couch fall forward and wrap around her. "Shit's been going sideways since that Stahl bitch came round few years back. We ain't recovered yet from it. I don't think we will be honest."

"What'd she do to you guys? How the hell could one woman do to make this much shit rain?"

Opie sighed heavily, remembering everything that happened the last few years. Alex knew none of it other than what she read in the papers and that was relatively vague, keeping names and main situation out. They outlined what happened, nothing more.

"This ATF bitch came snooping around the Club a few years back for something with the IRA." He began in a thick voice. "She spun shit around, made the Club think I turned rat."

"Oh Jesus…" Alex gasped, knowing the implications.

"Yeah." Opie choked. Alex heard the change and shifted in his grip enough to look at the man's face. He hesitated to meet her eyes and when he had she could see the pain. "She's the reason Donna…" Opie looked away again, remembering the scene vividly in his mind. With a few steadying breaths and a cleared throat, Opie looked to her again. "When Clay thought it was me, he sent Tig. Got her while she was in my truck."

"Oh sweetie." She whispered, gently touching his cheek. He barely managed to keep her eye contact. "I'm so sorry."

He moved like he shrugged but it was weak at best.

"Stahl came back again, few months later, pulling the same shit. When we were dealing with this whole group of white hate fuckers, Tig told me the truth. Whole Club found out after that. Club came up with a plan to get rid of her and get everyone's revenge at the same time. The guys gave themselves up to get arrested so we could have our chance." He told her, his voice still thick. "Ever since Donna, SAMCRO's been falling apart."

Alex didn't know what to say or if she should even speak. Her delicate brows were pulled together so tightly it hurt. How could Jax think Opie could remain in the Club that stole everything from him? Clay destroyed his life, taking his wife and his father and for what?

Instead of saying anything, Alex curled back into his side and took his hand. She wove their fingers together and held as tightly as she could. Opie found himself letting his cheek rest on the top of her head and relaxed as best he could while memories haunted him.

The two remained in silence. Neither of them knew what to say after that. Alex understood the contention now, the awkwardness and why Opie was so angry. He told her everything that happened, the Cliff notes version sure, but everything that had transpired since she left and it was a lot. Even with their lifestyle, this was a new level of disaster.

Tomorrow Alex would maybe call Jax again. Maybe she'd call Tara. Maybe she'd just forget about them all and nurse her own hurt. She didn't know what she was going to do, but if she had to choose sides she knew who she'd be with.

Alex never thought anything would rip her from her brothers save death, but this had. Jax's cryptic behavior and desire to protect someone like Clay was more than she felt like dealing with right now. She still had to try and come to terms with the last father she had finally dying. Honestly, part of her wondered briefly if Clay had anything to do with her own father's death. It was a natural thing to assume, but in the end she knew he didn't. He was stabbed to death in prison by some arm of the Mayan club for retaliation. He didn't hurt her mother either. Mom killed herself, shooting herself in the head at the dinner table while Alex was home. But even if Clay didn't have a whole hand in it, it wouldn't surprise her if maybe he had a finger in the plan.

Opie found himself questioning everything Clay ever did too. He wondered how long the man had a bull's eye on his back around the Club leader. He wondered if Clay would have gone after his kids, his mother, just to get at Opie. He wondered if a man like that had limits.

Probably not.


	28. Chapter 28

**This is really short. It's a kind of 'middle' chapter and yeah, compared to the others its like half the length, but kind of just needed to be there. Hope you enjoy it. And, of course, Happy Birthday fangirlofanarchy!  
**

Chapter 28

Opie told Elle and Kenny about their grandfather, Mary too as well as anyone else that might need to know. His family reacted like he expected with tears and questions. All he could do was tell them what Clay's original plan had been and blamed it on the cartel. He didn't have a choice. Something in his refused to tell them it was Clay's hand. Maybe when the man was dealt with, but not yet.

It had been two days since Opie filled in his family and he still dealt with the backlash of it. He had to try and comfort his kids and tell them it was alright, deal with his angry mom and tried to handle Lyla wanting to be there for him. That was an odd situation in and of itself.

Before Opie would have welcomed her coming to his side, trying to comfort him like she had when Donna was gone, but this wasn't like that. He honestly didn't want to talk to her, not really. He didn't want to sit there and try to explain things to her, listen to her saying she was sorry for his loss and everything else people say when a loved one dies. He just didn't want to deal with it. So, instead, he always found his way back to Alex's house.

Mary knew what to expect from the man in terms of being around his children. When Donna died, Opie was gone for nearly a month. She gave him the time, knowing his love for the woman and difficulty handling it, so she didn't push. Now was no different. She knew Opie would need some time to himself, but so did she in a way. Where the woman could take solace in keeping busy whether it was taking care of her grandkids or not, Opie couldn't do anything. He didn't want to do anything or be near anyone. Except Alex.

Like the passed couple of days, Opie found his way to her house and walked in without knocking. He was met with the sight of her sitting on the couch with a pillow on her lap as she watched television. The Jack Daniels and a glass was already set out for the man. Opie thanked her internally like he always did when she forced a smile to him and scooted over on the cushions.

He walked into the living room, closing the door behind him and tossing off his jacket before sitting beside her. Opie poured himself a drink and sat back in the couch. Like the other nights before, Alex put her pillow in his lap and rested on it. That was it. The TV played whatever show it was on and neither of them spoke. Forgetting they didn't know what to say, there wasn't anything _to_ say. There was no need to force conversation so they didn't.

Hours passed while they sat in silence. It wasn't odd or awkward. It was normal, the most normal thing either of them could ask for and they needed it. Opie rested his arm on the armrest of the couch, drink in hand, while he traced his right hand along Alex's arm. When the time would come, they would move into her room and share her bed again. They hadn't repeated their previous tryst yet, neither of them entirely certain what it meant, but it didn't stop them from sharing a bed.

~~~!~~~

When morning broke, Alex began to shift in her bed. She woke groggy like every other morning, her body sore for no real reason and the man she'd been spending so much time with beside her. And, surprisingly enough like every other morning Opie was awake first.

"Have you slept?" she asked quietly, her brows pulling together lightly.

"No." he answered, rubbing his hand down his face.

Alex pushed herself up to sit against her headboard as well as she could, biting back a groan in her shoulder to look at the one beside her. Something was wrong. He was so deep in thought; she could almost see them running through his mind and before she could stop herself, Alex asked something irrefutably stupid.

"Is this about the other night?"

She felt stupid the moment the words left her mouth for one main reason. She was becoming _that_ girl. Everyone knew _that_ girl. The one who thinks everything comes back to them, the one who wants to know if that was a one night stand and the one that would harp on you to figure it out. She hated _that_ girl and actually beat her ass a few times in high school. Now it was her. Amidst everything that happened in the last week alone, Alex somehow turned it around and made it about her…

Opie heard the strange question and rolled his head towards the young woman. Alex hadn't looked at him, instead picking at her fingernails to avoid any eye contact or verification that she'd said anything at all. He stared at her curiously. With the way she was acting, he knew this couldn't have anything to do with his father. She looked embarrassed, not sad. He pressed his mind to think about what the hell she was talking about, but it took longer than he thought. Opie had been up most of the night because he was pissed. He was angry at Jax, the Club and Clay. He was angry at the world, so her random question took longer than he'd like to admit to break through the haze of rage in his head. When it had, he felt a little 'slow' for not understanding sooner.

Silence had stretched longer than Alex felt comfortable with. She didn't realize Opie was trying to make sense of her blurted statement, only that she had been waiting for too long for a response. She began to fear he was trying to come up with a lie to tell her to make her comfortable. She may have been confusing brothers in that regard, knowing it was something Jax excelled at while Opie never bothered, but she couldn't help it. Alex suddenly felt like a damn fifteen year old girl. And it wasn't the fun way either.

"Look," she spoke before he could. She was going to backpedal, to try and get out of the weirdness as quickly as she could. "It probably shouldn't have happened anyway. I mean, I know you're married, so let's just agree not to talk about it. Or repeat it… ever."

Opie's brows pulled together, his mouth hanging a bit slack. Alex was spewing her words so quickly it was almost too fast for a normal human being to understand. But he held on. Having a daughter, he was capable of deciphering erratic girl speak.

"Jesus Alex," Opie sighed, letting his head fall back against the pillow, his good arm propping it up. Alex reluctantly turned to look at the man. "Stop acting like a girl."

Alex felt a brow rise high at his statement. Did he really just say that so matter-of-factly?

"I am a girl you moose." She replied snidely before she could stop herself. Any embarrassment for sleeping with a married man she might have felt was definitely gone. Now she wasn't concerned she'd ruin their friendship, only that he was being a jackass.

Opie grinned to himself at her colorful nickname. She had many, many for him through the years. It wasn't surprising. He had just as many of her.

"Well now you're acting like it. So cut the shit." He said, scratching his chin this time before looking at the young woman.

"I'm being serious Ope. Stop trying to be an ass about it."

"You're just embarrassed," He said, looking at the young woman out of the corner of his eyes. "Since I renewed your faith in God and all."

Alex's mouth dropped slightly while Opie seemed to muse over her blank reaction, a pink hue touching her cheeks.

"Oh my god." Alex groaned, burying her face in her hands.

"Sounds about right."

Her jaw dropped further at Opie's brash words. Before she could stop herself, her arm shot out and backhanded Opie across the gut. He grunted but laughed regardless, grabbing her arm and pulling her onto his chest. Alex fell onto the wide expanse and relaxed almost immediately while Opie continued to muse over the situation.

"You're an asshole Winston." She said after a moment or two of passing silence.

"Yup." He replied simply.

She smiled, but it slowly began to fade.

"Still…"

Opie's smile faded too. Despite wishing the subject would never come up again or even the first time, he understood where she was coming from.

"You're married Ope. Remember? I was there."

He sighed, running his fingers through his hair before settling in his spot again, keeping his arm around Alex's shoulder.

"I don't know if what me and Lyla had was a marriage." He said honestly in a low rumbling voice.

"Then why bother? Divorce is only something rich people can afford."

A brief smile crossed his face.

"I was looking for something I guess." He replied, Alex feeling his shrug lightly. "It doesn't matter now."

"Why?" she asked softly.

She felt him shrug again. Alex was staring off into the wall without a specific target, only staring. Opie on the other hand looked down at the woman in his arms. Relief moved through his veins with every heartbeat like it tended to when she was around. Everything stopped spinning. Everything stopped hurting.

A slow smile crossed his lips as he kept running his fingers along her arm. With another deep breath, Opie rested himself into the pillow again.

"Stopped looking." He replied finally.

Alex nodded against his chest, unaware he'd been staring at the back of her head as he thought. She assumed, like her with other things in her life, he'd simply given up trying to make things work. She had. That's why she'd come home to Charming, the most unorganized and chaotic place she knew. If there was somewhere you could go with the flow with people you loved, Charming was it.

~~~!~~~

Classifying a relationship is difficult enough for the people not involved in it. Different people had different guidelines as to what constituted a relationship. To some, for example, Alex would be a home wrecking, husband stealing slut while Opie would be a low down cheating bastard. To others, Alex and Opie would be more classified as friends who finally got together after years because a tragedy brought their worlds colliding into one another again.

The generality of things like relationships and the vague labels people used until something bad happened didn't matter to the two. Nothing anyone else said mattered to either of them. Then again, they didn't bother telling anyone either. The pair were fine in their world, away from the hurt and betrayal they'd felt coming from SAMCRO.

As sad as it was to say, even sadder to think, they were fine in their own world without labels… and without friends. Perhaps it would change later, _hopefully_, but until then they had each other.


	29. Chapter 29

**I hope you guys enjoy this! And thank you so much for sticking with it. **

Season 5

Sovereign

"You ready for this?" Alex asked, walking up behind the man standing in his bathroom.

Opie looked up into the mirror, his face tense and bordering on angry.

"No." he answered honestly, putting the rest of his rings on.

Alex walked in behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing her cheek between his shoulders as she hugged him. Opie's head was down as he looked at the small hand clasping her wrist to make sure she held him.

"How's your arm?" he asked, seemingly out of nowhere.

"It's fine." Alex sighed, sensing the need to change their conversation and obliged him. She released the man and moved beside him, leaning against the vanity with her back to the mirror. "Still kind of sore, but the shoulder's fine."

He nodded absently. She could tell something else was bothering him, but didn't know what.

"Opie," She said softly. When he didn't look, she reached over and grabbed his jacket, pulling enough to make him look at her. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." He replied unconvincingly.

Alex cocked a brow to the man, a sarcastic smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

"Really? Cause I've known you since the Huggies days, and I can tell when you're lying."

"Oh yeah?" he asked, mimicking her expression as he squared himself on her. "How's that?"

"There's a distinct scent of bullshit in the air."

Opie laughed lightly while Alex smiled proudly. Still wearing her wide toothed smile, Alex wrapped her arms playfully around Opie's waist again and craned her neck to look him in the eyes.

"It's okay Ope." She told him solemnly, the smile fading and seriousness taking over again. "You have your kids who are healthy, smart and surprisingly well adjusted and you have your shit straight." She teased. "And, most importantly, you have me here to whoop your ass into shape."

He cocked a brow to her, sure to force her to notice the foot difference in their heights. It didn't bother her in the least or intimidate.

"Now," Alex declared taking a step back from the man and out of his arms. "Hop to Sparky."

"Sparky?"

"No?" she asked, Opie shaking his head at the nickname. "Okay. Well let's go Skippy."

His face fell.

"Let's get to steppin' Chief." She said, continuing on with the horrible nicknames, no end in sight.

"Stop."

"Slick."

"Knock it off."

"Sport."

Growling under his breath, Opie retaliated, just to make it end. He bent down and suddenly swung Alex up onto his shoulder. She shrieked from the action and gripped his leather as tightly as she could.

Opie trudged into the bedroom with no regard to the woman struggling to get out of his grasp. With one swift movement, Opie flung the young woman onto his bed. Alex bounced briefly before settling, seeing the man smiling arrogantly down at her.

"Think that's funny?"

"Told you to cut it out." He shrugged indifferently.

Alex openly rolled her eyes and stuck out her arm. Opie gripped her wrist gently, helping her up. Instead of stepping off, Alex stood on the bed; towering over the young man by the same margin he did her on a regular basis. She took the marginal half step forward and let her arms fall onto his shoulders.

"Idiot." She told him endearingly.

"Ass." He replied with the same tone.

Alex smiled and bent down to kiss him. Opie returned the affection as sweetly as he received it before they broke apart. When she looked back down at the man, their lighthearted teasing and mild fun disappeared again. Seriousness touched their faces again. Alex's hand came forward and touched his cheek.

"Come on." She said softly. "We need to get going."

Opie reluctantly nodded and with a final peck helped Alex down and moved into the living room to get the rest of their things together.

~~~!~~~

Jax approached the two standing by the newly turned Earth. Alex was holding Opie's hand tightly in both of hers, unable to look up from the small wooden box that had once been her six foot five father figure. It hurt knowing that was all he was reduced to in the end. Opie held her hand just as tightly as he could; sure at some point her fingers were going numb from lack of blood flow.

"Hey,"

The new voice forced the young woman's eyes from Piney's little box. Jax was looking sadly from her to Opie and back again, the others in the background.

"I'm glad you decided to do this."

The tall man didn't bother meeting his friend's eyes for very long before they fell back to the small dark wood box.

"It's not for me." Opie said heavily. "It's for my kids."

Jax nodded uncomfortably, looking to the young woman pressing to Opie's side.

"Hey Alex."

"Hey Jackie." Her voice cracked when she forced a smile. "How you been?"

"Good."

They were forcing conversation. Opie had all but stopped speaking to Jax for the most part, unable to come to terms with the man saving a person like Clay. He was angry and Jax didn't press it. Almost the same could be said for Alex. She and Jax had spoken a few times, probably once every few days, but she was having trouble dealing with Piney's death too, especially when it was at the hands of Clay.

Clay, John and Piney had all helped raise her for obvious reasons. Mary and Gemma would more or less take turns 'saving' Alex, so their ol' men would be there too, even more so given she was the only girl born to one of the Original Nine. She was the only baby girl period and they treated her like that.

Alex barely remembered John anymore, Piney more taking over as her father figure after her own died, the elder Teller man and Clay was just kind of there like the rest of the guys. Out of all of her 'father figures' Piney was the one that gave a damn and had secretly wanted a little girl. So he treated Alex like his princess and she loved him for it.

Jax understood her side too. Jax had stepped between her and Opie's revenge. He got it, he really did, but their friendships seemed to suffer for it. Knowing how Opie was about things even remotely similar to this and Lyla's leaving too, Jax would rather Alex be with him. Ope needed someone he could rely on, fearing there wasn't a man in SAMCRO he could trust anymore. Again, Jax reluctantly understood.

"This is good for everyone man." Jax finally said. "Let's them say goodbye."

"And let's us bury the lie." Opie growled. "_Piney Winston, killed by the Mexican Cartel._"

"The truth will come out man." Jax told him sternly. "It just can't be now. Too many people will get hurt. I'm sorry you see that as a betrayal."

"The only betrayal is Clay not being the one going into the ground."

"Opie," Alex reprimanded softly, hearing his agitation grow.

He glanced to her and took a breath to calm himself before his eyes fell back to his brother.

"Yeah." Jax breathed. "Look, I know you can't sit at the table with him and I was wrong to ask. I love you Ope. I want you in SAMCRO but whatever you decide, I'll back you. I hope you know that."

Opie looked painfully down at his friend.

"What I know," he began in a shaky voice, rife with pain and anger. "Is that the gavel turns shit around."

"I'm not going to turn into Clay."

"I'm more afraid I'm going to turn into _you_." Opie replied with derision.

Jax's eyes were glassy and Alex knew how much it had to hurt to hear Opie speak to him like that.

"Opie, stop it." Alex hissed weakly under her breath.

He twitched slightly and looked back to the grave plot. Alex shook her head and pulled out her hand, taking Jax's and pulling him to the side to speak to him.

"He doesn't mean it Jackie," she said softly. "You know that."

"No," he shook his head. "I don't know if I do anymore."

Her brows pulled together tightly. She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around the man. Jax breathed a sigh of relief and hugged her back as tightly as she did him. Alex's eyes burned as she buried her face into the nape of his neck and his cut.

"He's lost Jax." She whispered. "He doesn't know what's up anymore. That's all."

She felt Jax nod before they slowly pulled away.

"He wants blood, I get it, and if I could give him Clay, I would."

"The man's poison." She sighed breathlessly, pleading with him to understand. "He kills everything he touches."

"I know." Jax nodded. He leaned forward, cradling the back of her head gently as he kissed her forehead. "I know."

"Then why, Jackie, why the hell would you keep something like that around?"

He looked painfully into her eyes and could see the desperate need to understand staring back at him. She wanted to know, honestly. She had to. Alex wanted to know why her family was ripped apart and the one thing that would mend more than half that gap was still walking around under the protection of someone else he helped destroy.

Jax wanted to tell her. He wanted to tell his friend, his sister, why he had no choice in the matter, but he couldn't. Forgetting the fact the story was incredible and unbelievable, the whole Club would get sent away if he did. The risk outweighed the benefit. So for now he'd let her hate him, he'd let Opie hate him. It was what he had to do to protect them in the end.

"I'm sorry." Was all he said before turning and walking back to the crew.

Alex stood for a moment, trying to understand why as Jax spoke to the others. Reluctantly and no clearer than before, Alex returned to Opie's side. He glanced down at her with the same angry sadness that had marred his face for weeks. Slowly, he took her hand in his and held onto it as the guys came forward to pay their respects.

All the while, Opie and Alex remained silent. Neither of them could speak nor did they want to. There wasn't anything to say.

They remained behind for nearly an hour before everyone dispersed. Opie and Alex lingered as they filled in the hole with Piney's box. Later, Opie planned to bring Elle and Kenny by. He didn't want them here for the burial, not sure he could explain why their grandfather was in a small shoe box.

As the pair rode along the streets in Alex's car towards home, no one spoke. The air was thick with tension and an odd hint of sadness. The cloud seemed to constantly surround Opie and infect everyone else he came near. He held so tightly to things there was no other way he could be. Finally the silence and thickness became too much for Alex to take.

"You hungry?"

Opie shook his head.

"You thirsty?"

He shook his head again.

"You alive?"

Opie scoffed a laugh, but didn't speak. Alex found herself rolling her eyes.

"He does love you, you know."

This time the man looked to the young woman driving down his street. Alex could feel his eyes on her and knew his 'look' wasn't amused.

"He does." She reiterated, feeling the need to tell him so. "Even if you don't believe it, Jax does give a damn about you."

"Funny way of showing it."

"Opie," Alex sighed softly.

But that was where it ended. Alex wanted to give him a reason why Jax loved him, why they were still brothers and friends, but she couldn't think of any. To be honest, Jax hadn't given either of them much of a reason to think anything other than what they already did.

Finally Alex pulled her car into Opie's driveway. The man unfastened his seatbelt but noticed Alex hadn't moved.

"You coming in?"

"No." she shook her head. "I told Tara I'd take her to lunch today. She has to train her replacement so I thought it might be nice to get her out of there for an hour."

"Later then?"

"Yeah." She smiled. "Are you bringing the kids or what?"

"No. They're spending the weekend with Mary."

"Okay. You going to stay out of trouble?" she teased lightly.

"Yeah, I've still got some work to do round the house."

"Okay. Well, see you later then."

Opie nodded and leaned forward, kissing her sweetly before parting.

"Love you."

"I love you too Ope." She smiled.

With a parting smile, no matter how weak, Opie closed her door and went inside to wait for the kids to come home from school. He planned to take them to the cemetery if they wanted to say goodbye to their grandpa and then to Mary's for the weekend.

Backing out of the driveway, Alex made her way to Saint Thomas to pick up Tara and take her wherever she wanted to go to eat. Wanting nothing more than to be around someone who didn't seem to be as affected by everything as her or Opie were.

~~!~~

Alex was waiting in Tara's office for the doctor to get back from her training session. She'd been there for about ten minutes before the door opened and Tara walked in with a heavy smile.

"Hey." She greeted, walking to her desk with an arm full of papers.

"Hey. How's your day been so far?"

Tara sighed irritated, setting down the things in her grip before grabbing her purse.

"That bad huh?" Alex smiled crookedly.

"I just need to get out of here."

"Well come on then Doc. Let's get some food."

With the strongest smile Tara could muster, the two of them left.

Alex drove them to the diner in town, a small family owned restaurant that nearly everyone in Charming went to at least once a month, including SAMCRO. They received a few sideways glances when they walked through the door and went to a booth, but neither paid it much attention. When you're a well known affiliate of an outlaw MC, you get looked at.

"So, do you like your replacement?" Alex asked after they ordered, trying to make the question sound less insulting than she knew it would. It barely worked, but Tara knew there wasn't malice in her words.

"He's fine, I guess." She sighed, stirring the sugar into her coffee. "But how much are you supposed to like the guy taking your job?"

"I can break _his_ wrist if you want?"

Tara laughed, shaking her head a bit at the thought.

"Thanks for that, but no. Might be a little suspicious don't you think?"

"Meh." Alex shrugged with a grin. "What are they putting you on in the meantime?"

"Light work. Consultations mostly, things without much 'heavy lifting'. It's driving me nuts and I haven't even started it yet." She replied causing Alex to smile to herself. Slowly Tara's eyes met the other young woman's and her expression turned sadder. "Sorry I couldn't be there for Piney's funeral."

Alex shrugged and waved her hand dismissively at the thought.

"Don't worry about it. There wasn't a ceremony or anything really, just the guys getting to say their last words and stuff before they buried him." She said, trying to keep her voice from wavering at the thought.

"I thought Jax said he was cremated."

"He was. Piney already had the plot and Ope wanted to use it. Honestly, I think he did it so the kids would have somewhere to go, ya know?"

Tara nodded slowly while Alex took a sip of her iced tea. She wanted to ask the woman something, but wasn't sure if it was her place or just stupid.

"How is he?" she finally asked, knowing immediately it was a dumb question but wanting to know.

"I don't know." Alex shrugged. She propped her elbow on the table top and rested her head in her palm as she looked to Tara. "I can't tell if he's pissed and sad or just plain pissed."

"He's still mad at Jax?"

Alex shrugged again.

"Maybe. I don't know. I think he's angrier about the situation than just at Jax. He doesn't understand what's going on and it's not getting any clearer so… Opie doesn't really know how to deal with it."

Tara felt her brows come together sadly. She knew the reason Jax wasn't saying anything about keeping Clay alive, and why they needed the bastard, but she couldn't tell Alex. As much as she wanted the two of them to know what was going on, she couldn't say a word.

"I'm sorry." She found herself saying.

"Not your fault." Alex sighed. "He's doing okay though, as well as can be expected."

The young woman nodded absently, taking another sip of her coffee. There was something else praying on her mind, but this she had the gall to ask without hesitation. In fact, it made her smile slyly to herself every time she thought about it.

"So, I heard you and Opie have been spending a lot of time together lately."

Alex looked to Tara and cocked a brow at the smirk on the young doctor's face.

"Meaning?"

"Nothing." Tara shrugged innocently though the smile remained. "Just that you guys have spent almost every day together the passed few weeks."

A blush crept into Alex's cheeks whether she knew it or not as her own lips slowly began to pull into a smile. At the sight of it, Tara's smirk became a full blown grin, proudly beaming at the young woman across from her. Alex buried her face in her hands and groaned.

"Oh my god." She sighed into her palm, _feeling_ Tara's wide-toothed grin.

"So it's true, hm?" she teased. When Alex didn't answer Tara giggled. "About god damn time. How long have the two of you been 'together' then?"

"We're not 'together' Knowles." Alex snapped halfheartedly, mocking the doctor's air quotes. "I don't know what the hell we are."

"Yeah well, good. It only took the better part of twenty years."

"Shut up." Alex squeaked causing Tara to laugh again. The blush in her cheeks began to burn a bit so Alex knew she was red without having to look.

"Awe. Did I embarrass you Walker?" Tara continued to taunt. "I didn't even think that was possible."

"I'm going to punch you in the throat if you don't stop." Alex threatened under her breath.

"Fine." Tara sighed despite the wide smile. Alex nodded as though trying to solidify their agreement, but Tara couldn't leave it at that. She had one parting question/jab for the young woman. "So…" she smiled causing Alex to glower. "How was it?"

Alex buried her face in both palms while Tara fought the urge to laugh louder at her friend's expense. Alex groaned her embarrassment again before daringly looking back to her friend. When her hands dropped, Tara could see the wide smile on Alex's face and the brilliant red of her cheeks.

"Good." Alex answered before she could stop herself, a laugh playing at her words. "It's _really_ good."

The two young women laughed happily and hushed in their corner to keep the looks at bay, but it was difficult. Tara almost couldn't wait to go home and tell Jax about Alex and Opie, something damn near everyone thought was overdue and judging by the way Alex was reacting, it wasn't over either.

Not too long after their food arrived, giving Alex the much needed break from Tara's questions and teasing. They enjoyed their short lunch before Alex had to take the reluctant doctor back to work and head home herself.


	30. Chapter 30

**okay kiddies. I want to thank you all for the reviews and everyone reading this. I love that you guys like it because I really like this story myself. But, I have to take a break updating until Sunday. Some family's having surgery so I'll be out of town without my computer. I'll be back though and update again on Sunday night. Enjoy the chapter and see you then!  
**

Chapter 30

Alex made her way home a little while later with a bag of food for Opie. Something told her he hadn't eaten or even thought about it since she left. She was right.

When she walked through the house and found no sign of life, Alex decided to make her way outside and found Opie standing by his workbench with a pile of wood, measuring off pieces and cutting them. She smiled, setting his lunch down on the picnic table. He heard the bag and turned.

"Having fun?" she teased lightly.

"Figured I might as well get this shit done while I have the time." He replied with a heavy sigh. It meant no, he wasn't having fun.

"What's all the wood for anyhow?"

Opie pointed to the shed with his pencil before sticking it behind his ear again. Alex looked and noticed some of the siding was popped off revealing rotten support beams. It might be a pain in the ass to fix, but he wasn't going to buy a new one. It was a waste of money when he could do it by himself.

"Hungry?" Alex asked, sitting at the picnic table.

"I guess."

She cocked a brow to the man who hadn't looked up from his measurements.

"Have you eaten?"

Opie shook his head and marked another line.

"Then you're hungry. Now come here and eat a little bit before you pass out or something. Mouth to mouth I can do, but there's no way in hell I can pick your mammoth ass up." She told him, grabbing his burger and fries out of the bag and setting them down.

Opie glanced up to see the food, catching a whiff of it when the wind changed. His stomach grumbled. To be honest, he hadn't realized he was hungry, too busy working and keeping himself busy to care about food, but seeing it changed his mind. Alex noticed the hungry look in the man's eyes. She picked up the burger and unwrapped a single side to give him a look at what lay within.

"Come on," she beckoned like calling a dog as she waved the bacon double cheeseburger. "Heart attack-y goodness."

Opie let a grin touch the side of his lips before tossing the pencil down onto the tabletop and moving towards Alex. He slid into the picnic table and immediately went towards the food. Alex smiled at the lion tearing into the burger with disbelief, shaking her head lightly.

While Opie remained outside making arrangements and so forth before starting the actual work on the shed, Alex found herself inside picking up. It didn't bother her in the least and helped her think. Over the passed few weeks, Alex and Opie would switch between her house and his, Alex spending a bit more time with Kenny and Elle and becoming reacquainted with the two.

They'd helped each other a lot through the passed weeks, more than either thought. Opie relied on Alex to stay sane and strong, vice versa being true and inadvertently fed off one another's forced strength. After a while, the simple act of lying about being alright became honestly alright. The pain of Piney's death and Clay being the hand of it was still raw, but they were coping.

"Jesus," Opie sighed, coming through the back door when the sun had set. He walked towards the fridge for a beer while Alex started the dishwasher. "I forgot how big a pain in the ass a fucking handsaw is."

"I've got an electric one at home." She laughed, leaning against the counter top as he took a drink. "I told you you can borrow it."

Opie shook his head and swallowed a mouthful of the alcohol before speaking.

"I need to use my arm." He replied, eying the circular scar in the middle of his forearm. "It's been getting stiff."

"Yeah well," she sighed, stepping forward and taking it into her hands. She ran a finger over the slightly raised scar. "It looks good for being a couple weeks old."

"I heal fast." He offered.

"No shit." She snapped sarcastically causing him to smile to himself. "Wish I did."

The statement made his smile disappear. She hadn't intended for it to, but the memories still bothered him.

"So what time do you want to head over to your place?" he asked, willing to change the subject.

Alex looked up and shrugged.

"We could always stay here." She offered. "I don't really care either way."

Opie smiled as she stepped forward and laced her arms lazily around his waist.

"I'm easy."

"No shit."

Alex's jaw dropped. She reared back and smacked him once in the center of the chest. Opie chuckled but grunted from the force of her hit. She knew he was teasing but felt the smack was merited regardless. It made her feel better at least.

~~!~~

It was strange falling into a normal routine when your life up until that point was anything but. No matter how calm everything was, you expected a call to tell you someone else died, to tell you so and so were arrested and so on. You expected the worst and when it never came, you were more on edge than if it had. It took a lot of getting used to and neither of the pair was there yet. Three and a half weeks, and neither were there.

Flashing lights shone through Opie's bedroom window in stark contrast to the darkened room and the night outside. He shot up, Alex rolling off of him in an instant and waking with a start. It didn't take long for her attention to go to the random flashlights either.

Opie instantly reached for the gun beneath his pillow, Alex the shotgun resting between the bed and end table. He waited for her to rack a round into the chamber before leading the way out of the bedroom.

The large man moved as silently as his frame would allow through the house before reaching the front door. Alex's eyes scanned the house, watching to see if anyone was stupid enough to walk out of the shadows. She'd heard about the break ins, part of her praying someone was that damn stupid.

"Shit," Opie grumbled, drawing Alex's attention.

He glanced to her as he put his gun in the back of his waistband. Opie was more than tall enough to look through the small windows at the top of the door, not bothering to bend down for the peephole, and saw everything outside his front door. Alex's brows came together confused but she had the wherewithal to lower the shotgun. Reluctantly, Opie opened the door to reveal the police.

"Sorry to wake you Opie," Sergeant Roosevelt said with an arrogant grin. "But we were hoping you could tell us where Jax Teller is."

Alex walked forward apprehensively, still holding the shotgun in her hands. The glint of light across the gun's barrel drew Roosevelt's attention a second before the young woman holding it.

"I assure you Ms. Walker, that won't be necessary." He said, his free hand inching towards his own weapon.

"Says who?" she asked sarcastically.

"Alex," Opie halfheartedly chastised over his shoulder. He didn't want a shoot out and something told him Alex might try.

With a few choice words mumbled beneath her breath, Alex kept the gun aimed at the ground and racked it a few times, expelling the two shells within the chamber until it clicked. Roosevelt nodded his gratitude though she didn't relent her grip on the weapon. At least now the cop was sure she wouldn't 'shoot' anyone with it.

"What do you want?" she asked the man in the uniform.

He adjusted his stance, still giving them both the smile they wanted to smack off his arrogant face.

"Where's Jax Teller?" he asked simply.

"Home." She offered with a shrug.

Roosevelt scoffed sarcastically, the grin ever present which wore on both residents' last nerve. The uniform didn't save the man from possible outbursts, the other eight to ten cops with their side arms out did. Their bald leader was being cocky and neither liked it, especially not when the man woke both of them up at nearly eleven thirty at night. Well, they might not have been asleep per say, but regardless.

"I find it hard to believe his two best friends don't know where he might be hiding." Roosevelt said.

Alex felt her brow rise. How much did this man know about her and the rest of the people affiliated or in SAMCRO? She knew she had a rap sheet from her time in Charming and since, but being uncertain of what other people know about you is unsettling. It was obvious how he knew about Opie on the other hand.

"Haven't seen him in a while." Opie offered after a moment of stares and silence.

Both of them knew it was and wasn't a lie. They hadn't seen him in around twelve hours, which could be considered a while, but they knew Roosevelt meant within the last few days. Who gave a shit what he wanted to know? Half truths were about the best cops could expect from anyone.

"Anything else, _Sergeant_?" Alex asked sarcastically, standing just behind Opie's right arm.

"Yes," he replied, the smile turning curt. "As a matter of fact there is. We're also looking for Mr. Trager and Mr. Telford."

The two's eyes narrowed curiously.

"Chibs and Tig?" Opie asked uncertainly.

"Why?"

"Oh," he chimed, the smile turning arrogant again. "We've warrants for their arrest."

"On what charges?" Opie asked with a disbelieving scowl.

"I'm afraid that's confidential."

"Bullshit." Alex snapped.

Roosevelt scoffed a soft laugh, his eyes moving from one to the other before settling on Opie again.

"Sorry to bother you Mr. Winston." He all but sneered. "You two have a good night."

They stood in the doorway watching as Roosevelt called his men and waited until they loaded up into the four cops cars parked in front of Opie's house before driving off. Opie stepped out onto the front step to make sure they were gone.

"You got a burner?" Alex asked, watching from the safety of the threshold.

"Yeah." He answered absently. "Top drawer by the sink."

Alex nodded and walked inside. She moved into the kitchen and located the phone when Opie closed the front door. She didn't hesitate to dial Jax's phone number and waited for the rings. Opie and Alex both knew the chances of their phones being tapped were pretty high. If this was still Charming PD, they wouldn't have the money or resources, but San Joaquin Sherriff's did. They could tap and trace a phone just because and considering how much the cops hated SAMCRO it wouldn't surprise anyone.

"_Yeah?"_ Jax finally answered dejectedly after a few rings.

"Jackie? It's Alex."

"_Now's not too good a time darlin'. Can I call you back?"_

"Roosevelt just paid me a damn visit." She snapped before he could hang up. "He's got warrants for you, Chibs and Tig."

"_Yeah."_ He sighed again. _"I know."_

"The hell's going on Jax?"

"_Look,"_ he said quickly before pausing. Something told her he was walking out of earshot of whomever he was near. "_You with Ope?"_

"Yeah." She said without thinking it might be odd. "We're at his place when Roosevelt showed up. Why?"

"_I want you guys to keep your heads down, okay?"_

Her irritation was soon replaced by worry. There was something in the man's voice that frightened her.

"Jax, what's going on?" she asked slowly.

"_Pope, dude who heads the Niners came after Tig's girl Dawn."_ Jax said somberly. _"He burned her alive."_

"Oh my god." Alex gasped, feeling a bit of bile rise in her throat at the thought.

True Dawn and Alex didn't get along. Everyone knew it and they made no secret about it. Alex and Fawn didn't get along either, but that didn't mean someone like her deserved to be burned alive. That was a hell Alex couldn't imagine.

"Jesus Christ… Does Tig know?"

"_They made him watch."_ Jax answered after a pause.

Alex actually gagged that time, her own imagination taking over and pity for Tig joining it. Opie had walked in to see her expression and the hand on her stomach to settle it. He gave her a questioning look. Alex waved her hand dismissively, silently telling him she would fill him in later.

"How is he?" she asked despite knowing it was stupid.

"_I don't know. We're here helping him get her and shit now."_ Jax answered honestly. _"Just keep your eyes open okay? Pope shouldn't come after anyone else, but just in case."_

"No, yeah." Alex answered, even nodding like he could see her. "Sure. Just let me know what's going on Jackie, okay? Don't make me worry about you guys."

"_Alright darlin'."_

She could hear the smile in his voice and it made her feel better.

"Love you honey."

"_Love you too."_

With that Alex hung up the phone and set it on the counter top beside her, wrapping her arms around her stomach as she tried to get the image of Dawn flailing in fire out of her mind. To make matters worse, everyone knew Tig was barely there to begin with. There was no telling what something like this would do to him.

"What's going on? You find out what the papers are about?"

"Oh shit," Alex sighed, planting her palm against her forehead. "I didn't even ask."

"Then what happened?" he asked, knowing something was wrong from her reaction to the conversation alone.

Alex looked up to Opie with sadness in her eyes. They both heard about the Pope situation. They'd heard about Tig getting trigger happy, nothing new, and inadvertently killing the daughter of one of the worst men in Northern California. Evidently Pope was in the business of an eye for an eye instead of all out rage.

"Pope got Dawn." She told him through the hand on her mouth. "Burned her alive while Tig watched."

"Holy shit." Opie sighed, his brows pulling together as he leaned against the doorway. He found himself looking down as he thought about the same things that crossed Alex's mind. "Fuck…"

"Yeah." Alex nodded. "Jax said he and a couple of the guys are helping him get Dawn's body right now."

Opie shook his head in disbelief, crossing his arms over his chest as he thought.

"What are they going to do?"

Alex shrugged. She didn't know and honestly, she didn't think either of the guys knew.

"I'll give him or Tara a call again tomorrow." She said, Opie nodded. "Come on," Alex stepped forward and looped her arm around his. "Let's go to bed."

He nodded slowly and followed her into his room. When they walked through the door, Opie replaced his gun, Alex doing the same with the shotgun, musing lightly that it was the one she'd bought him for his wedding gift.

As they climbed into the bed, both were thinking about what the hell was going on. What kind of sick bastard not only burned people alive, but did it right in front of their loved ones? You have to be a cold individual for something like that to even cross your mind.

Alex laced herself to Opie's side and thought further on what the hell seemed surrounding them. Pope was a bad man and the Club was in his line of sight. There was no telling what he might do if this was his first move. What would he do to Jax? To Opie or anyone else? Did he have limits or not? Was this the tip of the fucked up iceberg?

Sleep didn't come easy to either of the adults lying in bed. It remained just out of reach until their bodies couldn't take it and they passed out despite the thoughts running through their minds.

Galindo. Lobos. Niners. Pope. Cops. Feds. Clay…

Between the external threats and the one still lingering within that they knew about, there was no telling what was going to happen next. What the hell was going to become of SAMCRO and everyone in it?


	31. Chapter 31

**Okay, I'm back! Everything's good with the family which is wonderful. Here's the next chapter and I hope you guys enjoy it. A few of you are getting worried about the upcoming episodes and chapters. Rightfully so too, they're pretty harsh in the SAMCRO world. :) But, you've got to trust me. Enjoy!**

Authority Vested

Ep.2

Around eleven o'clock the following morning Alex called Tara. She knew Tara would have a clearer head about whatever the hell happened the night before and would be less likely to beat around the bush with her. If she had a shot at a straight answer, the doctor was probably the one to call.

Moving into the kitchen so she could keep her eyes on the man outside working, Alex dialed the Doc's number and waited as it rang.

"_Hello?"_ Tara asked happier than Alex expected.

"Hey," Alex replied, unable to hide her own smile at the nearly giddy young woman on the other end. "You okay?"

"_I'm perfect."_ Tara beamed. "_I have good news."_

"Amidst all this shit? I'd love to hear it." Alex sighed, still grinning slightly.

"_Jax and I are getting married."_

"Oh," Alex replied, trying to sound more excited than she felt. "Yeah. I know. I've seen the ring remember?"

"_No. Today."_

This time Alex's face dropped, her eyes wide and mouth slack. Butterflies began to bubble in her stomach as excitement for the situation began to rise. All of the sudden the urge to scream happily surfaced but thankfully Alex was the kind of girl who had the wherewithal to suppress it.

"Oh my god!" she still chimed happily. "Oh my god!"

"_I know!"_

Tara Knowles and Alexandria Walker were not women prone to giddy bouts of giggling, screaming and waving their arms around like teenagers. But this seemed to be the kind of occasion that forced all of their self control to go flying out the window. This was a hand waving situation.

"I'm so happy for you! Wait…" her mind came back to her. "Today?"

"_Yeah. Jax wanted to do it as soon as possible with the bullshit that been coming up."_

"Makes sense. Wow. So, is anyone invited or what?" Alex asked a bit hurt she hadn't heard about it until now.

"_We just decided about ten minutes ago."_ Tara replied calmer than before, the excitement dwindling. Evidently some of the hurt made it to Alex's voice. _"He wants to do the Judge thing here and have something bigger latter for the rest of the Club."_

"Oh. Okay. Well congratulations you guys. I'm happy for you."

Alex forced her smile because in the end she was happy for the two, but she was a bit sad she couldn't be there. She always thought she would have been there for Jax's wedding whenever he finally got married, _if_ he finally got married. Hell, she was there for both of Opie's, so the thought kind of hurt. After all, if Jax didn't consider Wendy a real wife, why would what they did be considered a real marriage? Tara could hear it too, the emotion not as removed from the young woman's voice as she thought.

"_So, are you coming up here or what?"_

Alex paused. Her brows came together curiously.

"Uh… I don't know where _here_ is." She replied finally.

"_Oh. Uh, we're at a brothel."_ She laughed.

"Ah. Jackie's all about romance."

Tara laughed on the other end of the line; musing over the fact Jax had already said the same thing when Tara brought up their wedding in a brothel.

"_So, are you coming? It'd be nice to have at least one woman here that isn't selling her ass for twenty bucks."_

Alex laughed happily before she could stop herself causing Tara to do the same.

"Yeah." She laughed. "I'd love to. Go ahead and text me the directions and I'll leave here in what, half an hour work or when are you guys doing this?"

"_Yeah. It might be more like an hour or two to be honest."_

"That's fine. Should I tell Ope?" she asked apprehensively.

There was a pause on the other end of the line and she understood. The tension between Jax and Opie was palpable.

"_It'd be nice, but is Opie going to be up for that?"_

"I don't know." Alex sighed, her eyes moving back to the man outside setting up a two by four. "I can tell him."

"_Okay. I'll send you the directions okay?"_

"Okay." Alex laughed. "See you soon _Mrs. Teller._"

"_Oh my god."_ Tara sighed with a laugh on the other end of the line.

With their parting farewells, Alex hung up. A moment later a text 'binged' on her cell, letting her know she had the directions to the Whore House she needed. Putting the small silver device back into her pocket, Alex stepped through the open back door, hanging on the frame.

"Hey Ope," she called as he drew a line along the chunk of wood.

"Yeah?" he asked, turning to her as he tossed the pencil down.

She smiled when she noted the sweat beading on his forehead.

"Want a drink?" she asked with a sideways smirk.

"Sure." He nodded, reaching for the handsaw again.

Alex nodded and shook her head before moving inside. The whole 'Alex & Opie' situation was foreign to her for obvious reasons, but so was the homemaker role with someone she actually liked to be around. It was just funny to her. There was no other way to say it. Her being part of a 'couple' with Opie, if you could call it that was odd. Then again, it was really, _really_ fun too.

Sudden voices outside let Alex know someone else was here and judging be the anger she heard in Opie's words, she knew it wasn't good. Holding the drinks she'd just poured, the young woman walked through the back door to find Clay standing near the young man. She hesitated in step immediately when the old man turned around as best he could to face her.

"Hey Alex," he breathed heavily, his voice sounding as weak as he looked. "How's it going?"

"It was pretty good up until now." She muttered, slowly walking forward and handing Opie his drink.

"Fair to say I guess." He sighed.

"What are you doing here Clay?" she asked, Alex unable to hide the animosity in her voice. Her hand was itching to wrap the oxygen tubes around his throat and strangle him.

"Just had some stuff to discuss with Ope."

Alex looked to the man who only glanced at her from the corner of his eyes, giving her the silent word that he would explain once the old man was gone.

"I guess I'll go then." Clay offered before being told to get the hell off the property. He turned to leave before hesitating. "Oh. The guys are turning themselves in today."

"Wha… They have protection?" Alex asked quickly.

"I don't know." He replied, shifting to see them both staring at him. His eyes fell to Opie. "But I do know this. Whatever happens, Jax is going to want you at that table. He needs you."

And with that, the old man left. Opie and Alex were both quiet for a while, neither sure what to say until the sound of a truck leaving brought them both from their thoughts.

"The hell did Clay really want?"

Opie grumbled, taking a long drag from his cigarette before exhaling. He almost didn't want to say anything but knew better than to keep things from Alex. Especially when she told him, as far as he knew, everything she found out from Tara, Gemma or Jax.

"Came to feed me some bullshit story about confessing to the Club." He replied turning back to his work.

"Bullshit." She snapped before she could stop herself. "Clay doesn't tell anyone the complete truth."

"I know."

Alex found herself looking at the side of the house where Clay had disappeared, trying to think about what the old man may be up to when something else crossed her mind.

"They're turning themselves in?"

"Yeah, sounds like it." Opie replied, going back to sawing.

Alex stared at him for a moment, waiting for him to say or do something, but nothing came. Her patience was running thin.

"Well?" she snapped.

Opie threw his saw back down onto the work table. He wasn't in the mood either.

"The fuck you want me to say, huh? You heard him, they're turning themselves in."

"Ho!" she shot back. "I know you're not jumping up _my_ ass right now. I just asked you a simple question."

"That I don't have the answer to."

"You need to chill the fuck out Ope, you hear me? I'm on your side remember?"

And with that, she went inside, unwilling to be around the man when she was irritated enough to slap the shit out of him. But now it made sense, why Tara and Jax were getting married today. Jax wanted to do it before they got picked up.

Alex found herself scowling, wanting to hit the wall or something at the stupidity at the situation and frustration with it all. She was pissed and the only other person she could think of that might be even remotely interested in figuring out what was happening didn't seem to give a good god damn about it. As her irritation grew, Alex decided now was as good a time as any to drop another bombshell on the situation.

Turning on her heel, Alex stuck her head back out in time to see Opie flick his cigarette into the dead flower bed. When he turned he saw her staring at him.

"Oh, by the way," she snapped angrily. "Jax and Tara are getting married today."

And with that, she went back inside. Opie was left standing on the back porch trying to comprehend what Alex had said. He knew they were engaged, but to randomly come out and say they were getting married didn't seem to be clicking with the man as fast as it probably should have. When the statement finally burst through the man's brain and his legs decided to work, Opie moved inside faster than he thought he would have.

When he walked through his back door, Alex was sipping on her ice water. Her eyes shot to him over the edge of her glass, but she made no move to acknowledge him more than that. The confusion still hadn't left his features as he stared at her.

"What?" he asked before he could stop himself.

Alex leisurely lowered her glass and set it beside her, leaning against the counter top with her palms planted on the surface behind her. She raised a brow to the man.

"Jax and Tara are getting married later on today." She replied at a slower pace than before.

"Why?"

Alex cocked both brows this time at the derision in his voice.

"Really?" she asked. "They're engaged and getting married seems out of the ordinary?"

She didn't want him to know she had the same reaction. Right now she felt like playing the bitch since he jumped down her throat a few minutes ago.

"I meant why now?" he asked with a hint of a growl.

"Because he's going to jail?" she offered with a weak shrug. "People get married for worse reasons."

Opie didn't reply, honestly thinking he fell into that category. He wasn't sure what to say about the idea though, not really. He wanted to be happy for his brother, but he was having trouble. There was something holding him back from being overwhelmingly ecstatic like he knew he should have been. He began to feel guilty for not being as happy as he should have been.

"Are you going?" she asked after a short silence.

"Are you?" he shot back quickly.

"Yeah. Of course."

Even though he should have expected the answer, he didn't. Part of Opie thought she might still be dwelling on things as much as he was, but it didn't seem that way. In fact, as irritated or annoyed with Jax's behavior as she might have been over the passed few weeks, there was no way Alex was going to miss this. Not when Jax was marrying someone he actually loved. After all, she hadn't been there for his marriage to Wendy. One out of two wasn't half bad.

"Have fun." He said after a moment, turning and walking back outside.

Alex's brows came together as she pushed herself off the countertop and followed Opie out.

"Are you not coming with me?" she asked, leaning halfway out the threshold.

"No." he said, going back to his work with his back to her.

"Ope, he's your brother." Alex sighed, slowly approaching the man.

The large man didn't turn, trying to focus on the thoughts running through his mind and the work he had to finish. However, as the minutes ticked by and Opie didn't say a word, Alex knew there was no point in pressing the matter. She'd either be met with resistance or anger if she kept hounding him about attending Jax's wedding. Alex knew the man well enough to realize it too, something he was grateful for without knowing it.

"Fine." She finally said in the same tone. "Well, I'm going to head home and change."

"You still have clothes here." He said absently.

"Yeah, but I have something more fitting at home." She said with a smile. "Come here."

Opie turned when he felt her hand on his shoulder. When he had she hugged him tightly, Opie returning the affection despite the heaviness he felt. She felt him lower his face enough to press his cheek to the top of her head.

"You going to be here later when I get back?" she asked softly.

"Yeah." He told her in the same voice. "When you heading back?"

"I don't know." Alex said with a deep breath, pulling back to look at the man towering over her. "Why?"

"I just got some errands to run."

Alex nodded slowly, distressed by the constant sadness lingering within Opie's hazel eyes anymore. She forced a smile and barely received one in return.

"I love you Opie." She told him.

"Love you too." He said, bending down enough to kiss her a few times before slowly untangling their limbs and stepping back before she could hit him for what he was going to say. "Even if you're an ass."

As sure as he assumed, Alex smacked him halfheartedly in the stomach but smiled nonetheless.

"_You're_ the ass." She mumbled under her breath, moving towards the house again. "I'll call you later."

Opie watched as she walked off before going back to his work. He wasn't sure what he was going to do, taking in the information he'd been handed since the day began at midnight, and he didn't like the way it was going. His current train of thought was going to get in him way, way too much trouble for his own good. Alex surely wasn't going to be happy and the thought alone hurt his heart.

Reluctantly he went back to work and tried to force the guilt he had surfacing down into the pit of his stomach where it could fester until it came out as something useful… like cancer.


	32. Chapter 32

**It's like you guys are worried or something. :) Are you nervous? lol. You're safe for a little while I suppose. But then again... :)**

Authority Vested

Pt. 2

Alex found herself weaving through back roads towards the address Tara had text her. This place was further out in the boonies than Alex had assumed, but she was relieved to find familiar bikes resting in the driveway by a large amount of vehicles. Without hesitation, she pulled up and parked beside the motorcycles and moved inside, amazed by what she saw. Of all the whore houses she'd been to, this one actually seemed legitimate, the nicest of them all.

"Alex girly, what ya doin' here?"

Alex looked to her left to see Chibs smiling to her as he approached.

"Tara told me." She smiled, hugging the man when he wrapped his arms around her.

"How ya been sweetheart?"

There was a tone to his voice that let her know he meant more than the small talk equivalent.

"Fine." Alex replied, pulling back from the man. "I'm fine."

"And our boy?"

"As well as can be expected." She told him honestly.

Chibs nodded his understanding when Jax stepped forward. He looked at the young woman with confusion marring his face. He glanced around briefly, as though seeing if she was alone before his eyes shifted to her again.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, hoping it didn't sound as insulting as it might.

"Tara told me about it." She said, Chibs walking off to give the two a moment. "Why didn't you?"

"Didn't know bout it till a minute ago." He shrugged. He looked behind her again as though another person would be walking in. She knew who he expected.

"He's not coming Jackie." She told him quietly.

Jax's eyes shifted back to her and she could see the hurt hidden deep within his eyes.

"I'm sorry."

"It's fine." He forced a smile. "Glad you're here."

"Wouldn't miss it." She smiled, hugging the man.

~~~!~~~

Opie reluctantly went to see Lyla. It was part of the list of shit he had to do. He found her with Ima, another bitch he didn't want to see, but she didn't matter. It took some convincing but he got her to talk to him. Honestly, Opie was amazed she'd even bothered with it after the way he'd treated her the passed month and a half.

"Is this really what you wanted to talk about?" Lyla asked, staring at the man skeptically in the mirror's reflection.

"Yeah," Opie sighed, running his hand down his face. Shaking his head, he walked towards the chair and sat behind the young woman that he once called his wife. Hell, they weren't even divorced yet. "Look, I need you to take Elle and Kenny for a little while."

"Why? Where you going?" she asked, spinning in her chair to face him.

"I got to leave town for a little while. I don't know how long I'm going to be gone." He said without meeting her eyes. His head was still down as he thought about how to sidestep the issue, the real reason he was leaving before he unzipped his jacket and reached within for an envelope. He pulled it out, finally meeting the porn star's gaze. "There's twenty grand in here. Should take care of living expenses."

"The hell's going on Ope?" she asked sadly.

"If you can't," he said quickly. "I can just take them to my mom's. But they love you, miss Piper a lot."

"Jesus Ope, you can't just spring this shit on me."

"I'm… I'm sorry. I know it's a lot and you're busy. There's enough money in here for a nanny, sitters. I can't tell you much more than that. I'll explain when I get back." He said timidly. He didn't like to admit how much it felt like he was begging, but he didn't have a choice. This needed to be done for what he planned. "Please Lyla."

Lyla sighed, running her fingers through her hair for a moment before looking back at the man.

"Why not Alex? Can't _she_ take care of them while you're gone?" she asked, trying not to sound as hurt as she felt.

Opie twitched at the pain of hearing the young woman talk about Alex like that, but he understood where she was coming from. He was sure by now Lyla had heard about Alex and Opie's… whatever it was they had, and she probably felt betrayed by it. Even the most understanding person in the world would be hurt by it. True Lyla knew their situation, learning more of it when Alex came around, but still…

"Kenny and Elle are still getting used to her being around again. They were pretty young when she moved." Opie finally told her. "But she'll help you out. They just miss you and Piper. I know you'll take care of them."

She was flattered by his words. She couldn't help it. Hearing that at least someone in the Winston bloodline cared about her was a relief, but she wanted to know if it was the one she still loved. Slowly, Lyla leaned forward and rested her arms on her knees.

"Did you ever love me Ope? Or was I just a distraction to get you to the next exit."

"You weren't a distraction." He answered solemnly, meaning every word. "I…" he hesitated with what he was about to say, believing it too. "I don't know if I love anything."

Lyla could see the honesty in his face, no matter how pale he seemed to have gone, and it broke her heart because she knew he loved his kids and at least one other person.

She pulled back, leaning into her chair again as she steeled herself for what she was about to say. She didn't want the man to get pissed, but she felt she had to say it.

"You love her though, don't you?"

Opie's brows twitched together briefly before he tried to wipe the look from his face. He didn't want to seem as surprised by it as he felt.

"I don't know." He told her honestly after a pause. "She makes me feel… normal."

Lyla tried to ignore the tug in her chest at the statement. She wanted to be mad but she wasn't sure she could, or had the right.

"You're happier with her, aren't you?"

This time when his brows twitched they didn't relax. He should have expected this line of questioning, but he'd hoped to avoid it. And to make things worse, he wasn't sure he could lie about this.

"I've known her all my life Lyla." He tried to explain.

"No, it's more than that." She said, shaking her head. "You have a thing for her. Just tell me Ope. Do you love her?"

His head dropped as he thought about it. There was no denying he loved her. He loved a lot of people that influenced his life, people he'd known for decades and friends. True the intensity of that affection had wavered recently and the people he called friends had become barely more than 'knowing' them. All that was, save Alex. Throughout this ordeal, the only thing that had stayed constant was Alex.

Hesitantly, he looked back to Lyla and in that she had her answer. It broke her heart to know, her sliver of salvation being he hadn't actually 'said' it. Still, she knew otherwise. She could see it even if Opie couldn't.

"Please Lyla." He said again, hoping to change the subject entirely back to what he needed.

"Shit." She sighed, pressing her fingertips to her forehead to ebb the heartache induced headache. "A few weeks."

Opie handed her the money, letting his grip linger for a moment. He looked at her solemnly.

"Thank you." He told her, truly relieved.

Opie stood and loomed over Lyla before bending down and kissing her temple, letting his lips linger for a moment. He didn't do it out of attraction, but more out of endearing gratitude. Hesitantly, he left, knowing Lyla was as uncomfortable with the situation as he was.

As he left the studio, Opie knew he had a couple more things to take care of. There were only one or two items on the actual list, but he had no choice. If there was one thing SMACRO taught you, it was the fragility of life.

~~~~!~~~~

Alex walked into the bathroom where Tara was getting ready. The doctor glanced up in the mirror as she brushed her hair and couldn't fight the smile. Neither could Alex. With the excitement both had tried, and failed, to hide on the phone, they approached one another and hugged tightly.

"I'm so happy for you." Alex smiled, squeezing Tara.

"Thank you." She beamed, eventually parting from the young woman. "Not exactly how I pictured, but…"

"Yeah well, you're an Ol' Lady. Be glad this isn't a McDonalds."

Tara laughed.

"I don't know if a whore house is much different."

Alex shrugged, taking a seat on the vanity while Tara pulled her hair up.

"Did you come by yourself?" Tara asked, not having been in the lobby when Alex arrived.

"Yeah." Alex replied, glancing down at her knees for a moment. "Ope said he had some stuff to do."

"He's still mad at Jax, isn't he?"

"I think he's more lost than anything." She said honestly, looking up into the young woman's face. "It scares me when he gets like this."

"Why?" she asked, shifting to look Alex in the eyes as she messed with her locks.

"There's no telling what he might do."

"Yeah but, he talks to you doesn't he? I mean, he never told Lyla anything, but he actually tells you shit."

"Well yeah… but…" she looked down again. "It doesn't mean I know what's going on inside his head."

"If anyone does, it'd probably be you."

Alex smiled. Tara was trying to make light of the situation and she was grateful, but it did little two sway her concern. It was true; Alex did know Opie really well. That was the problem in the end.

Tara tried to be reassuring as she grabbed her makeup and began touching it up. When she brought out her lipstick, the bathroom door opened again and this time Gemma stepped through. It was a bit of a shock to both young women.

"Alex baby," Gemma said, seemingly as shocked to see the young woman as they were to see the matriarch. "What are you doing here?"

"Came to say hi." She lied, somehow feeling this may not be a good time to tell Gemma she knew about the wedding. "You?" she couldn't keep herself from asking despite knowing she should have.

Gemma's eyes turned stern again as they traveled to Tara.

"Came to talk to my _daughter_-in-law."

The animosity in her voice wasn't lost on either of the young women, but they didn't react. Well, Alex didn't. Tara didn't feel the need to hold anything back.

"Not how you saw this going down is it?" Tara asked, putting on her lipstick.

"Not getting invited to my own son's wedding? No, it's not." She snapped angrily. "Alex honey, give us a minute."

Alex was ready to jump off the vanity, slightly fearing the woman's anger when Tara's hand touched her knee.

"My Maid of Honor doesn't need to go anywhere." Tara said defiantly.

Alex cocked a surprised brow to the young woman who only nodded, as though solidifying the statement. She'd tell Tara how honored she was by the action later. Now, they had to deal with an offended and angry Gemma.

"Fine." Gemma replied, tossing her purse into a randomly placed chair.

"Oh please. Just because you're pissed Jax's in marrying me, doesn't mean you have to take it out on anyone else."

"Am I now?"

Tara scoffed.

"You've hated the idea fourteen years ago." Tara replied, putting on some powder.

"Life moves on." She said sarcastically. "People change. I hate different things now."

"Just say it Gemma." Tara sighed, not wanting to deal with more bullshit on her 'wedding' day.

The older woman looked from the one who seemed to have inexplicably grown a pair of balls to Alex sitting on the vanity watching her. Alex had nothing to input in this particular conversation and stayed out of it. She was more content to watch the two of them go after one another.

Slowly Gemma dug into her pocket as she took a few steps forward. Tara's attention shifted to her quickly, but confusion became the dominant emotion when the elder woman pulled something out and tossed it onto the vanity between Alex and the young doctor. Clanking metal alerted them to the small trinkets wrapped around a safety pin.

"Mine and John's." Gemma explained. "I figured you didn't have time to get rings."

Tara struggled to say anything, honestly too shocked to really believe what was happening when the door opened again. Jax looked skeptically at the trio within. He had partially expected bloodshed.

"You okay?"

Tara nodded, still confused and unsure of what to tell Gemma.

"Okay, well we have to get ready. We're bout to lose our judge."

"Okay." Tara nodded.

Alex looked to Gemma and Tara, watching the discomfort before pushing herself off the vanity.

"I'm going to head out there." She said, willing to give the two a moment. There was minimal damage that could be done in a minute… then again, she knew Gemma…

Not long after she took her spot outside in the lobby with everyone else, Tara and Gemma emerged. No blood. Good sign.

Tara and Jax took their spot at the head of the group across from the judge, Alex beside Tara. She smiled proudly at her brother and how happy they were as they exchanged rings. To everyone's surprise, Chibs offered a few words, more beautiful than anyone had expected.

When they kissed, there was applause for obvious reasons. Everyone went around and congratulated the two. It was an amazing moment in the midst of their bullshit, that the two of them are finally happy and married. Then again, it almost didn't seem real either.

Alex finally made her way back to Opie's house, knowing he was likely still there. When she walked through the door, Alex heard the shower running. A smile touched her lips as she made her way towards the sound, opening the cracked door the see the massive man within, his reaper tattoo smiling at her.

The sound of clomping boots hitting the tile floor forced Opie to turn just as Alex pulled her shirt over her head. A smile crossed his lips. When she tossed it aside, she saw him looking at her.

"Get everything done?" she asked, unbuttoning her jeans.

"Yup." He replied cockily, leaning his forearm against the glass enclosure.

"You coming with me to say goodbye to them?"

The smile faltered slightly, but he shook his head.

"I'll stop by before they leave though." He told her before Alex could snap at him. "Got a few hours till then."

"Yeah," she smiled again, opening the glass door and stepping in when Opie shifted enough to give her the room. "We do."

He chuckled to himself and lifted the young woman into his arms before kissing her. He didn't want to tell her he was going to pick the kids up from Mary's and take them to Lyla's before stopping by the Club. He didn't want to tell her what he planned on doing in the end. Not yet at least. She might get it, but he didn't want to tell her yet.


	33. Chapter 33

**Author's Note at End of Chapter. Enjoy! (Safe 'no-Opie-death' chapter) **

Authority Vested

Part 3

Alex tried to comb out the tangled mess her hair had become while Opie reluctantly pulled on his boots. When she flipped her hair to the other shoulder to try and finish brushing it, she caught sight of the heavy look on the man's face. Her brows came together.

"What's wrong Opie?" she asked him, turning to face him.

Reluctantly Opie looked up to see her light concern. He didn't speak for a moment, his eyes traveling towards his cut resting on the back of the chair in the corner. She followed his line of sight and felt her stomach turn.

"You're going to do something stupid aren't you?" she found herself asking, shifting her gaze back to Opie.

He wanted to smile at her remark but barely managed a smirk.

"Probably." He replied in a thick voice.

Bravely, Opie rested his forearms on his knees and looked at the young woman.

"I can't let them go in there without protection."

Alex found herself nodding whether she wanted to or not. Opie was loyal to the bitter end and she knew it. She just didn't have to like it right now. Right now she reserved the right to be upset with him despite the noble gesture.

"Oh my god," she sighed with a heavy breath as she walked towards him. "I hate you right now."

She fell onto the bed beside the man, rolling her head to look at him with a small smile.

"No you don't." he said, hoping internally she was only joking.

Her smile turned an iota bigger as she held up two fingers about an inch apart.

"Little bit." She teased before leaning on his shoulder. "So, what's going to happen now?"

"Now," he answered in the same heavy voice. "I'm going to head over to Mary's to get the kids, drop 'em at Lyla's."

"Why?"

He could hear the slight upset in her voice and hated it.

"They miss Piper." He told her. "But Lyla said she'd bring them by every once and a while."

"I can take care of them Ope."

"I know." He said quickly, knowing she was starting to feel a bit hurt at not being considered a viable option. "But I didn't want to just dump them on you like that. We shouldn't be inside that long anyway."

"Okay." She replied, nodding her understanding and trying to remove the discomfort from her voice. "Well, the guys are turning themselves in around eight, so I think I'm going to head over there."

Alex leaned up enough to lightly kiss the man, Opie returning the affection. When she pulled back, she forced another worried smile.

"Love you."

"Love you too." He replied heavily.

With a reassuring nod, Alex stood and gathered her things to head over to Teller-Marrow.

~~!~~

The air within her car was thick with tension but when Alex walked through the door of the Club House, it was nothing in comparison. The members sat around the bar, scattered into smaller groups with a drink in their hand a piece. They noticed her walk in, a few raising there glasses, others nodding their heads in acknowledgement though no one said much of anything. She didn't expect the same greeting as the last time prison time loomed in the air.

She went to the bar without speaking to anyone at first, not entirely certain what she was supposed to say and knowing she needed a drink in her system beforehand. Chucky poured her something, whiskey perhaps but she wasn't paying attention, and nodded her silent thanks to him. When she turned back to the bar filled with people, she could see how despondent everyone was and didn't know if she had the strength to change it.

Alex found a seat next to Chibs and Bobby at a table not too far from the bar. They didn't object and why would they as she took her seat and a drink.

"How's it goin' darlin'?" Chibs asked thickly.

Alex propped her elbow on the table, her head in her palm and looked to him.

"As well as it can be I guess." She replied.

He nodded to himself and went back to contemplative brooding like everyone else. It wasn't that any of the men in the room were worried about prison time. On the contrary, every one of them had served at least a couple of years if not more through their lives. It was the lack of protection.

Black, white and brown made up the only real gangs in the prison system. The branches might be different, who each was affiliated with, but in the end in was the tri-fecta. And as much as the 'white brothers' thought they ran things, they didn't. Of the three, the supremacist dicks came in dead last. It was generally a pretty tight race between black and brown for the top spot, but in county here? Black dominated. Pope ran black and those who weren't in his crew were easily persuaded. Without protection, SAMCRO faired next to nil against them, and everyone knew it. That's why they were nervous, why no one wanted to say anything and why this trip to County was so very different.

Whether they wanted to or not, most if not everyone in the bar was checking the clock every few minutes. Time never moved so fast and so slow at the same time. It was a paradox, like Teller-Marrow was thrust into some kind of wormhole where time moved in two separate directions. Every time they would look to the clock, only a minute had passed instead of the hour it seemed, meanwhile no one could believe it was already seven thirty. Soon seven-forty five and before anyone could believe it, it was nearly eight.

"Alright laddies." Chibs sighed, taking the rest of his final shot. "Our ride's here."

The sound of sirens echoed in the background alerting everyone to the police's arrival. Heavily and sadly, everyone stood and went about saying their farewells to everyone else.

Alex walked through the groups, hugging Tig, Chibs and Jax tightly, telling them all they better be careful and that she loved them. They returned the words, the kisses to the cheeks and went about congregating near the front door.

Part of the young woman was wondering where the hell Opie was. He'd said he'd be there and still there was nothing. To her surprise no one asked about him either. Then again, perhaps it wasn't so shocking. She assumed they figured he wasn't going to be around, that he was keeping his distance like he had been. The roaring bike in the distance proved them wrong and brought sad relief to Alex.

The cops began shackling up the rest of the Club when Opie rolled into the lot. Alex pushed gently through her friends and passed the police. They eyed her, contemplating stopping the young woman, but thankfully were smart enough not to touch her. If they had, Alex's already frazzled nerves would have gotten the better of her and she might have done something stupid.

"You sure you want to do this?" Alex asked quietly, having approached the young man after he got off his bike.

Opie glanced up at the scene of everyone being chained up and cuffed before back to her and nodding.

"Yeah." He answered quietly. "I have to."

Her brows pulled together, Alex looking down to her feet and nodding. She didn't want him to go, not when everything between them was going so well. It was selfish, yeah, but she didn't care. She was allowed to be selfish when it came to Opie. Right?

Prison time never bothered her. She worried about her friends and family whenever they went in like any normal person would, knowing the risks involved, but they always came home no worse for the wear. Now, she wasn't sure. Now there was a blackness hanging over the situation that bothered her more than she voiced to anyone. Now there was a chance someone might get hurt more than the normal prison yard bullshit.

Her eyes burned slightly and she knew at some point tears were going to start. Alex felt ridiculous for acting like a child, but she finally got Opie to herself and now he had to leave. If they had a little more time together, she wouldn't care, but Alex had only been back in Charming for about three, maybe four months and oddly enough he was married most of that time.

"Yeah…" Alex muttered finally.

A hand came up and gently took her cheek. Reluctantly, Alex looked up to see Opie staring down at her. His face remained pained though he tried to keep the emotion at bay. Even though he knew what he had to do, he was still apprehensive. After all, this could get him locked up for about three to five.

He didn't want to leave either, not really. He was finally as close to happy as he figured he could get after everything that'd happened. He smiled now, more than a weak smirk, a real smile would actually grace his face and he didn't care if he woke up in the morning. Before, he almost dreaded it unless he had something important to do, but now he didn't mind. In fact, he kind of liked it because Alex was there. The only thing that helped was Opie knew he'd be coming home to her.

Without warning, and much to the shock of those watching, Opie leaned down and kissed the young woman softly. Alex returned the affection happily, wrapping her arms around Opie's neck and holding to him almost desperately as she kissed him in return. This wasn't a timid kiss either. It was one some of SAMCRO felt nearly uncomfortable watching, but couldn't look away either because of the pair involved. Slowly and hesitantly, Opie pulled away and kissed her forehead. She barely managed a warm smile as she took her place at his side and walked with the man towards the group.

"So," Roosevelt chimed in a happier voice. "Decided to come say goodbye hm?"

Opie glanced to Alex who weakly smiled, but kept walking towards their friends.

"Yeah." Opie sighed.

Alex cringed the moment she heard flesh hitting flesh, finding her spot beside Tara and Gemma. The others watched in shock as Opie laid out another cop before two grabbed a hold of him.

"What the hell is Opie doing?" Tara asked horrified as Roosevelt barked orders to lock the man up.

"He's staying close." Gemma replied sadly, seeing the distress in Alex's eyes at the sight.

Alex kept her eyes glued to the man as he was led towards the paddy wagon and loaded into the back. As though staying defiant to the end, Opie winked and blew her a cocky kiss causing the young woman to laugh weakly but mimic the action in return.

~~!~~

The group had slowly dispersed but a few remained behind until every last vehicle with blinking lights was gone. Reluctantly, the rest flowed into the Club House were drinks were waiting for them in anticipation for everyone's need, not desire but need, to get drunk. Alex skipped hers, electing instead to go behind the bar and grab a can ginger ale. It may seem a random thing to have in this kind of bar, but when you had to nurse at least half a dozen people (at minimum) a week with intense hangovers and possible vomiting, something that cheap and simple came in handy.

"You feeling okay?" Tara asked politely, despite knowing the answer, as Alex cracked the top of her drink.

"Not even a little bit." Alex sighed, taking a long drink and nearly swallowing half the can before coming up for air. "I hate this."

"Yeah." Tara replied in the same voice, sitting at the bar. "I know how you feel."

"Ugh, I feel nauseous." Alex groaned, dipping her shoulders and letting her head fall.

Tara smiled as warmly as she could at the young woman's actions.

"They'll be out soon." She offered, hoping it would help. Alex looked up. "Don't worry about it."

"You kidding? Opie just laid out a Sheriff and his girlfriend." Alex teased with a sideways smirk. "He's got five years minimum."

The two shared a heavy laugh as Alex's eyes fell to the ring on Tara's finger.

"So much for that honeymoon." She said.

Tara looked to her ring finger and couldn't fight the warm smile it induced regardless of how the day had progressed. But it was true, in some part. With a sly smile, Tara looked back to Alex drinking another large gulp of ginger ale, staring at the doctor waiting for a response.

"We made our time count."

Alex nearly coughed from the laugh Tara brought out of her in the middle of trying to swallow her drink. It caused both of them to giggle, though Alex's throat burned a bit from the carbonation.

"And how about you guys?" she asked in the same leading tone she'd been using.

Alex kept her palms planted on the shiny bar surface and cocked a brow to the young woman across from her, her own evil smirk touching her lips.

"A good girl never kisses and tells." Alex replied in the most innocent voice she could manage. Tara scoffed a laugh. "So where should I start?"

This time, thankfully, the air didn't seem as heavy as it had been and the light hearted teasing relaxed the two substantially, enough for Tara to remember something. Without speaking she reached for her purse a few seats down on the bar and pulled it over. Alex watched, downing the rest of her drink and tossing it into the trashcan when Tara retrieved her cell phone.

"Jax sent me something the other day I think you might like." Tara said, flipping through her phone and finally locating the picture of Alex and Opie Jax had taken amidst Emmett's torture. She sent in, closing her phone and throwing it back into her purse.

The smile on Tara's face made the young woman a bit more nervous than she'd like to admit before her cell phone beeped in her pocket. Reaching into her jacket, Alex grabbed the cell before feeling something else in her fingers. As her brows pulled together, Alex pulled out a pair of rings. Tara's face reflected Alex's as she slid them loosely onto her fingers to examine them.

One she recognized immediately as the ring she'd given Opie to 'borrow', her father's ring. But the other, the other took her a minute to recognize. When she had, she felt her stomach flutter again. It was the ring Opie wore on his left ring finger over his wedding ring. It was another skull ring, like every other the Club seemed to wear, but she knew it was one Opie had owned since he was a teenager. She remembered him wearing it to school and generally switching what hand it was on depending on whether or not he had to beat the shit out of someone. Ring like this causes damage.

"Where'd those come from?" Tara found herself asking.

"Opie must have put them in my pocket." She answered in a relatively lofty voice before snapping herself too. "This one," she said, presenting her index finger. "Was my dad's. And this one was his."

"He had your dad's ring?"

"Yeah." Alex nodded, slipping each ring onto a thumb and realizing they were still a bit too big. "I gave it to him to wear a little while ago for luck."

"Did it work?" Tara asked with a smile.

Alex shrugged.

"He came home." She offered as her proof.

The two young women shared another smile when Bobby stepped forward.

"So," he interjected, a beer in hand. He looked to Alex with a sideways smirk. "You and Ope huh?"

"Yeah." She replied sarcastically with her brow raised. "Me and Ope."

He chuckled before turning to the rest of the bar, and to her horror, yelled something she hadn't expected.

"It finally fuckin' happened!" he declared with a laugh. "Now who won the pot?"

"Oh god…" Alex groaned, burying her face in her hands. She should have known they'd bet on something like that.

~~~!~~~

The paddy wagon drove through the darkened streets with half of SAMCRO in the back, most remaining silent for the duration, but Jax spoke up.

"So," he said in the silence, drawing attention to him. When Opie noticed the grin, he knew what it was about. "You and Alex huh?"

There were a few smiles and chuckles from Tig and Chibs, all eyes on Opie.

"Yeah. Few weeks now." Opie said almost proudly as he leaned against the wall behind him.

"Wow bro." Jax smiled, shaking his head slightly. "You happy?"

"Yeah." Opie replied, his own smile forming. "I think so."

**Author's Note: Alright guys. I feel like I should warn everyone now about the next couple of chapters. It is going where everyone seems to know it's already going, BUT it will get better. As sad as it's going to be in the next two chapters, it really is going to get better. There's a happy ending. It might take a while, but trust me, there is a happy ending to this story.**

**I know I'm going to probably lose couple of you, but I do hope you'll stick with the story. I think you'll like the way it comes out. Let me know what you guys think of the story so far and I really do hope you guys will stay with this at least a few chapters after the 'Laying Pipe' episode. I wish I could tell you exactly what's going to happen so you'll believe me, but come on. That's still kind of cheating. Thanks again and I hope you stick with it. **


	34. Chapter 34

**Yup.**

Laying Pipe

Ep.3

It took Alex far too long to fall asleep that night. Her nerves were frayed more than she'd admit and her stomach wasn't settling. She didn't know why, but thinking about Opie locked away with everyone else when something as simple as safety wasn't assured frightened her. For the first time in a month or better, Alex was actually terrified and she hated it.

She did sleep eventually though, when her body gave out, but even then she was plagued with worry about Opie. Maybe it was their new 'whatever' they had. Maybe she didn't want him out of her sight. Maybe something bad was going to… nope. No. If she thought like that, she'd actually make herself sick.

Grabbing another ginger ale from the increasingly diminishing six pack in her fridge, Alex made her way towards the car. She was having lunch with Tara again. It had become a weekly thing and both of them found it a nice release. Out of all the bullshit, something as simple as a lunch was welcomed.

It took the same amount of time as normal to reach the hospital and the standard half can of ginger ale. Her stomach barely felt better by the time she got there. She couldn't wait for Opie to get home so her stomach would stop doing back flips without her permission.

When she walked through the halls with practiced steps before coming across a display she hadn't expected. Tara and Gemma were sitting together on a bench talking in hushed tones. Gemma was facing Alex and saw her approach first, silencing herself immediately. Her shifted gaze forced Tara to do the same and smile weakly.

"Hey Alex." Tara said. "Can uh," she glanced back to Gemma. It was obvious Alex came upon a shit storm. "Can you do me a favor and take Thomas? Just give me a minute?"

"Sure." Alex replied, her keen eyes moving from one woman to the other. She didn't have to ask. Tara would tell her later. "Come on little guy. Let's go wait for mommy."

Tara smiled her thanks as Alex put her can in the cup holder and wheeled the baby away to another end of the hall. She wasn't going to go far, just far enough to make the two women comfortable to continue yelling at one another.

As she played with Thomas, the standard baby-holding-your-finger game, Tara came up. She sighed heavily, showing the young woman her irritation with Gemma as though Alex already didn't know. She smiled to her friend and stood upright, her index finger still held firmly in Thomas's grip.

"Awe. Someone not getting along with mommy dearest?" Alex asked in a thickly mocking voice.

Tara didn't skimp on the glower, even going so far as to growl under her breath which made Alex laugh again.

"What the hell was that all about anyway?" Alex asked, taking another sip of her drink. "The two of you looked like you were about to start a cat fight in the middle of the hospital."

"I'll tell you when we get the hell out of here." She sighed.

Alex nodded her agreement, unable to keep the smile from her face as the two of them left the hospital grounds and went to the employee parking lot. Tara loaded up Thomas in her car, Alex not owning a car seat, and set off to the diner.

When they arrived, they quickly found their table and set Thomas in the booth beside his mother. Tara didn't go into what was happening between her and Gemma until well after they got their drinks and ordered their food.

"Well?" Alex finally asked as she stirred some sugar into her iced tea.

"Gemma is sicking Wendy on me now." Tara said matter-of-factly.

"What?"

"Yup." She said, handing Thomas a toy and looking to the young woman. "She was spinning some bullshit story about me being strung out on pain killers so she needed Wendy to come and talk to me."

"Jesus. What the hell is that woman up to?"

"Fuck if I know, but she needs to back off. Both of them do, before I get pissed."

"Why would Gemma do that? Especially with Wendy. She hates her."

"Because I didn't put Gemma on the list of people to visit the boys in Day Care."

"Oh." Alex suddenly understood. If there was anything that could piss that woman off, messing with her family would do it. "That… yeah that makes sense."

"She needs to back off." Tara hissed.

"Whoa, hey now." Alex said, holding up her hands in surrender. "I didn't do anything, okay?"

"I know it's just…" Tara sighed, propping her elbow on the table and holding her forehead. "This bullshits going to give me a stroke."

Alex laughed lightly and shook her head, knowing the feeling. As she slipped into her own thoughts, Alex didn't realize she was twisting the ring on her thumb lazily. Tara did. Alex didn't wear much jewelry, earrings, maybe a necklace and a ring if she felt like getting dolled up and even then it was silver to complement her fair skin tone. Brilliant gold pirate jewelry tended to stick out in stark contrast.

"Still wearing Ope's ring?" Tara asked, noting the familiar skull ring Alex had told her about the day before.

"Hm? Oh, yeah." Alex answered, glancing to her finger. "It's a little big but… I like it."

Alex was staring at the ring, musing silently over the bit of string that had to be looped around the bottom in order for it to fit. She couldn't understand why, but it helped.

Tara thought it was sweet, like everyone else seemed to, and about time. The two had been all but sidestepping something like this for years, so it was good to see it finally come to fruition. But she could also see the worry, Tara felt it too. It was only natural when someone you loved was in a hostile situation.

"They'll be fine." Tara felt she should offer. Alex met her friend's eyes. "Jax'll make sure everyone's okay."

"I know." Alex replied with a forced smile. "I know he will, but still…"

As her stomach began to turn again, Alex reached for the last bit of ginger ale she possessed and drank it. There was nothing left and she scowled disappointedly before taking a sip of her tea.

"Stomach hurt?" Tara asked.

"Yeah." She sighed. "Ever since they said they were going to turn themselves in it's been in knots. Just stress."

"I can prescribe you something if you want." She offered, playing matter-of-factly with her son.

"Nah," Alex sighed. "I'll be fine. Like I said, just stress. I keep feeling like something bad's going to happen, that's all."

"I get it."

And she did. Tara understood completely and she would feel the same if she didn't have her job and kids to worry about instead. It wasn't that Alex was a loser in any way, not having a job or a family, but she had a bit more time to sit and think, to worry without them. If Tara sat for more than a moment or two, she'd do the same.

"So, you finish your dad's bike yet or is it still sitting at the shop?" Tara asked.

"It's still at the shop. Dog put a tarp over it after all this bullshit with Emmett and everything." Alex smiled. "I haven't been able to lift a tool for a while let alone fix a damn bike."

"I guess that means you're going to start it up again?"

"Might as well." Alex shrugged with a smile.

The two young women ate their lunch and talked, enjoying their free time with each other before Tara had to go back and pick up Abel. She would have brought him if he didn't like day care so much. As it was, Abel had friends, real friends that weren't six foot tall men in a biker gang. It was nice.

~~~!~~~

Alex found herself going back to Teller-Marrow when Tara dropped her off at Saint Thomas. They said their parting farewells, made arrangements to hang out again soon before Alex went to her own car and left.

When she arrived, the frame and bits she'd kept after removing were all put away neatly in the corner of the garage. She didn't hesitate to throw the tarp off, sending bits of dust flying that had settled over the passed month and smiled at her bike. This would help keep her mind off Opie.

For now.

~~~!~~~

Stolen Huffy

Ep.4

Alex was sitting in the garage, slowly putting her bike back together. In hopes of putting her mind at ease, she'd all but finished the task. It was surprising to say the least, but evidently the bike wasn't in as bad a shape as she thought it was. Most of the pieces were little more than dirty, coated with thin coats of dust, just enough to jamb shit up.

She would get it painted later; repainting it the baby blue the classic had been before. The paint still lingered, enough to let her know what it once looked like other than old pictures and memory, so she knew how to keep it. Alex wasn't about to rebuild the classic and change it completely. Hell, it was almost a match for the one in the bar that JT used to drive. The thought made her smile.

Slowly she began adding fluids to it, moving faster than normal with the happy notion that the guys were coming home today. Alex didn't know what happened to make them stay in county for only a day, but she didn't care. They were coming home and she wanted something to make her think about anything else. If she kept focusing on the clock like she had been, time would never move. Opie was coming home.

Excitedly, Alex leapt onto the back of the bike and started it up. The beast sputtered before roaring to life. This was the first time the poor thing had been started in well over a decade. The sounds echoed loudly off the concrete and steel walls of the garage, deafening her to everything around. She didn't hear the congregation of bikes behind her or the people welcoming them with less enthusiasm than before until she turned the bike off.

The slamming of a car door forced her to turn and look, seeing the van and new bikes added to the congregation. Alex's felt her heart beat faster in her chest to the point it hurt. She began to smile, her cheeks soon hurting too as she walked towards the group, seeing Jax standing with Tara. She didn't see Opie, but she knew he was close if Jax and the guys were home.

The two turned in time to see Alex walking towards them, struggling not to run, with the smile on her lips. It made their collective hearts drop. Tara leaned into Jax and whispered something to him Alex couldn't hear, but he replied by shaking his head. Ordinarily, she might have thought it strange, but not now. Now she was too happy.

"Welcome home." She laughed, hugging Jax. "Short trip."

"Yeah." He replied solemnly, returning her hug with half the intensity he may have otherwise. "Hey Alex, I need to talk to you."

"Okay." She replied, still smiling like an idiot as she looked around. "Where's Opie?"

Jax's brows twitched again, his eyes moving down. Alex hadn't seen the initial reaction, but when her gaze shifted back to him she paused. She stared at him curiously for a moment, glancing to Tara who avoided eye contact all together. Alex's smile faded almost instantly.

"What?" she asked timidly.

"Darlin'," he began in the same dejected voice. He looked to her with sadness marring every fiber of his being, his face reflecting everything he dreaded telling her. "Ope…"

"What?" she repeated, her voice dropping to barely more than a whisper.

Jax was going to tell her something bad, something she didn't want to hear. Her mind flashed to Opie being in the hospital, his body hooked up to machines because someone managed to get a hold of him. The image of him in a coma or something along those lines was enough to make breathing hurt.

"Baby, Ope didn't…" Jax struggled to say the words, knowing the effect they were going to have. He knew without asking or any logical reason, that Alex was going to be in pain with what he was about to tell her. "He didn't come out of county... with us"

Alex's breath stopped immediately, her face frozen somewhere between disbelief and horror. Everything stopped. Everything. The words were slowly creeping into her subconscious, but they didn't seem to register with her.

Seconds passed, bordering on minutes before Alex showed the slightest form of life. Her brows twitched together, her eyes turning glassy as tears threatened to break free. Her heart started beating erratically, holding no rhythm as though it wanted to kill her. In one swift movement, the tidal wave crashed down on her shoulders, pushing her to the ground.

Jax and Tara had been waiting for her to react, seeing her eyes begin to lose focus on them after he told her Opie was gone. Her breathing had hitched if not stopped all together and then everything happened at once. Without warning, Alex's knees shook and gave out forcing her to slam them into the concrete parking lot beneath her. The tears suddenly flowed without inhibition and her body began to shake.

Arms touched her but she didn't feel them. Jax had stepped forward and tried to hug her, to bring Alex to her feet but he couldn't. She suddenly weighed hundreds of pounds more than she did before and was immobile. He struggled to stop her shaking, to tell her everything was alright, but Alex heard none of it. She felt nothing.

Out of nowhere, Alex felt the air flee her lungs, the gasp she'd managed to take in, in one horrible scream. The air around them vibrated with her anguish as she screamed until her throat went numb. Jax shot away from her at the sudden action, unprepared and scared by it. He stumbled for a moment, uncertain of what he should do.

The bellows of the young woman didn't go unnoticed by anyone. People raced from the outside of the bar, the same being said for the ones in the shop to see what the hell was going on. Hell, a few people in nearby businesses heard the wailing banshee in the Teller-Marrow yard.

Alex was ignorant to it all. Her one lasting scream was all she had in her before she curled into herself, pressing her hands to her face as though to shield herself from the world just beyond. Family and friends stared in horror at the young woman trembling on the ground and immediately knew. Those who already heard about the ordeal knew Jax must have said something. The fear they felt was gone, quickly replaced by unadulterated pity.

She gasped and panted, struggling against her body just to breathe. Any pain she felt at Piney's passing, any anguish was nothing compared to now. Nothing. In retrospect, it was barely more than a blip, the eye of the hurricane trying to swallow her whole.

"Alex darlin'," Jax said, hesitantly stepping closer to the young woman.

Against all odds, his voice made it through the torrent of sobs. She heard it through the heartbeat in her ears, through the gargling breath, through the ringing. Jax's voice broke through everything and she knew why.

Inexplicably, Alex went still. Jax had taken a step forward to help her to her feet, to try and comfort his sister when her body went rigid. After the intense reaction, sudden immobility was strange and forced him to pause. Slowly, her head moved up, her eyes peeking out above her fingertips and the pause became a back step.

Alex's ordinarily brilliant nearly neon green eyes were darkened by emotion, bordering more on black with her dilated pupils. The difference was staggering and forced anyone looking at her to hesitate. Hatred, pure and wholesome disgust reflected back at him. For the first time since knowing Alex, Jax was afraid of her, recognizing the glint in her eyes as homicidal rage.

"I'll fuckin' kill you!" she suddenly bellowed, shooting to her feet and Jax in mere seconds.

Alex started throwing punches Jax struggled to dodge. She had no control over her limbs which made anticipating any move nearly impossible. He tried to grab her wrists, to hold her as steady as he could, but she seemed to have grown stronger than he thought possible, her body fueled with pain.

"You promised me!" she screamed. "You fucking promised Teller!"

Alex continued to swing, scratch, and slap, anything she could do to get a piece of Jax when arms circled around her. Tara had waved down anyone that would help, Tig and Chibs the two that grabbed an arm a piece to get her back from their president.

They pulled her back while she struggled like a stray dog on a lead, kicking and screaming to get a hold of the blond only twenty feet away. Jax couldn't fight the few tears that made it passed his lashes at the sight of Alex breaking. There was no other way to say it. Alex was in the process of breaking.

"You promised." She repeated, this time sounding more defeated than anything, her body nearly going limp.

No one blamed her for going crazy. No one thought she was. They hadn't expected _this_ particular reaction, but they knew something along those lines would happen once Alex found out about Opie.

"I'm sorry." He tried to say, the words as broken as their lives.

"I fucking hate you Teller." She growled, her voice cracking from a pained throat, her knees giving out again.

"Come on girly." Chibs whispered softly, bending down and scooping her into his arms. "Let's get inside."

No one said anything as Chibs carried Alex into the Club House, ready to set her in the apartment. She was sobbing into his cut, forcing the man to bite back his own tears. Despite staying strong in front of the others, in front of the Club, every one of them felt the hurt of losing Opie and when someone actually broke down like she did, it made any hope of holding things back all the harder.

Without a word or person in their way, Chibs took Alex into the apartment and laid her gently onto the couch. The aged biker knelt down beside her, Alex curling into herself like before. With a pained expression, he ran his hand along her hair, wiping a bit of it out of her face and drawing her eyes to his.

"Rest darlin'." He told her mournfully.

Alex didn't speak or react and he didn't expect her to as he leaned forward, kissed her hairline and left. Alex watched as the door closed behind him. She was alone, thoroughly and completely alone.

**Stay with me here people.**


	35. Chapter 35

**So yeah. I know the last one was hard and this one probably will be too, but its going to get a lot better. Trust me. You'll love it again by the end of the story. Enjoy as much as you can.**

Stolen Huffy

Pt. 2

Grief comes in waves. Most people don't realize it when their experiencing the emotion, but it does. You can cry for hours and suddenly stop without reason. You could then be fine, as fine as you can be, before the tears begin again without hesitation. That's what Alex was experiencing.

Her eyes were swollen, red and glassy but the tears were gone. She had nothing left to cry at the moment as she lay motionless on the couch in the apartment. Alex was lost. Her world wasn't crumbling. It was gone.

A knock on the door went unnoticed for the most part. It did make her jump but she didn't acknowledge it or the fact it opened. Tara glanced in pensively before walking through the threshold and approaching the catatonic young woman.

"Alex?" she asked tentatively.

Alex didn't respond or bothering looking at the doctor. She only lay on the couch, staring at the far wall.

Slowly Tara walked forward. She didn't want to risk Alex having another outburst or upsetting her further. She treated the young woman like a wild animal, giving her a wide berth and sure to move slow. She even had the tranquilizers in her hand to give her.

"Alex?" Tara tried again when she was standing in the young woman's line of sight. Like before, she didn't reply and Tara figured she might as well continue speaking as though she had. "I brought you something to help." She said, opening the bottle and setting two pills down. She wasn't stupid enough to leave all of them behind. "They're bringing Opie into the Chapel now. If you want to say goodbye."

And that was all. That was the extent of Tara's visit before she turned to leave. She didn't want to lie and say everything was going to be alright. She didn't want to ask Alex what was wrong. She didn't want to do anything. Alex would come to them if she wanted to and Tara knew that, so she left the young woman to herself.

Alex had heard everything Tara said despite remaining silent. She saw the pill bottle, she heard the explanation as to what they were and she heard Tara tell her the guys were bringing in Opie's body. The thought alone was enough to make the tears start again. She didn't know how many times she'd cried over the passed couple of hours, only that she seemed to be getting ready to do it again.

Out in the bar, groups of people began to congregate, ones who knew the man well, others who were there to show support. Alex didn't see any of them as she walked into the belly of the bar. As far as she could tell, it was empty even though she was surrounded by people.

Word had spread fast, as it normally does, about Opie and his situation. Not just his death, but his situation in general as it did with everyone else in the Club. Everyone in the room who spent any amount of time with SAMCRO knew Alex, if not personally then by name, as well as Lyla. They knew the blond with blue eyes was the porn star he married, one of Luanne's girls and the one with dark brown hair and green eyes was Alex, the life-long friend and girl he was screwing before he died.

There were whispering words spoken about Alex but none of it fazed her. They were muttering about her reaction earlier in the day, about her being one of the nines kids, all kinds of bullshit that didn't matter now. None of these people mattered anymore than the mud and shit on someone's boot.

When the Chapel's wide open doors were set before her, actually closed for once, Alex found herself grateful. She wasn't sure she could handle it just yet and elected instead to find her place across from them. There was a support beam about twenty or so feet from the double leather bound doors and that's where she took her perch, leaning against it as though it'd help keep her stationary. Crossing her arms protectively over her chest, a foot propped flatly against the square beam, Alex waited.

The doors opened not too long after she took her stance revealing Jax and Lyla. Jax hesitated when he saw the young woman, but if she noticed him she didn't show it. Her eyes never diverted to him, not even for an instant. The same lack of acknowledgement couldn't be said for Lyla however. The moment the blond saw Alex, rage surged within her.

Unanswered questions and emotions coursed through the porn star's body. It was a highly tense and emotional day, but she couldn't handle them as well as everyone had hoped. Without hesitation or provocation, Lyla stormed around Jax and to Alex, stopping just before the young woman and getting into her face.

"Oh shit." Jax breathed, knowing something bad was about to happen.

"The fuck are you doing here?!" Lyla demanded, tears streaming down her face.

Alex's face was emotionless and blank, her eyes still puffy and red from crying as they slowly moved to meet Lyla's enraged face. The thinner woman was all but shaking as she stood in front of the uncaring Alex.

"You were fucking my husband weren't you?!" she demanded, wanting to yell at something. Even if her accusations were true and had nothing to do with what was happening, she needed something to scream about to release her own pain. Alex remained still. "How could you make him love you?! He was _mine_! I hate you!"

Without warning Lyla's hand shot back then forward, violently connecting with Alex's cheek. The pain throbbed in her cheek, but didn't register with the young woman as she slowly looked back to the enraged blond.

"Lyla, stop." Jax snapped, rushing forward and grabbing her arms to hold her back and possibly save her from anything Alex might to.

But to his shock and the surprise of everyone in the bar that knew her, Alex did nothing. She didn't speak, she didn't react, and she didn't lunge for Lyla. Instead, she looked blankly at the young woman like she had been since the ordeal began only now a single tear was fleeing each eye.

Jax's brows came together tightly at Alex's curious behavior. If anything, he expected her to speak, but there was nothing.

Wanting to get the young woman as far away from the situation and possible danger as he could, Jax guided the sobbing Lyla away from the increasingly unstable Alex. Left alone, Alex went back to staring into the Chapel. This time she could see the coffin, the jet black box large enough to fit the man within and the hint of slate gray lining. She couldn't see a body and was glad for that. At the moment, ignorant to people staring at the young woman because of the one sided fight, Alex was trying to gain enough courage to step through the doors.

~~~!~~~

Jax had shit to deal with outside, people to talk to and things to do that took nearly an hour. When he walked through the doors again into the Club House, he noticed Alex hadn't moved. In an hour, she hadn't done anything. She was still leaning against the pillar; a foot propped beneath her, her arms over her chest and was staring into the room.

Apprehensively he moved around the front of her. Like before, she didn't acknowledge the man, her eyes intently aimed through the doors at the box where Opie lay. There were drying tears on her cheeks, her makeup mashed up and smeared from rubbing her eyes and emptiness shining through her eyes.

"Why…"

"Because it'd mean he's gone." She told him in a cracking, hoarse voice. She didn't need Jax to finish his question in order to know what he was asking. "If I walk through those doors, it means he's gone."

Her eyes began to water again and before she could blink trailed down her cheeks.

"And I can't do that." She finished, her voice barely louder than a breath.

"You don't have to go in there if you don't want to." He told her as strongly as he could.

"I want to," she said, her eyes finally meeting his. Jax could see immediately the pain within them as she continued to silently cry. "But I _can't_. My body won't…" the knot in her throat suddenly forced her to stop speaking.

This time she looked away, her brows furrowing as the emotions finally touched her face again. She was telling the truth. Her body wouldn't let her move. It wouldn't let her walk the few steps into the room to see Opie lying there because it knew she couldn't take it. Alex had been trying for an hour with no success.

"Come on."

Alex saw Jax offer a hand. She moved slowly, slower than she thought to reach for it. He held her hand firmly and began to pull her towards the Chapel. Whether she truly wanted to or not, Alex's feet began to work and reluctantly followed Jax.

Her eyes were down until she was inside the room. Alex wasn't sure she could look anywhere else. Jax released her hand and before she could ask why she heard the doors close behind her. He closed the rest of the room out, the noise, the people and the world. He enclosed him and Alex in the Chapel and she could feel the chill of it immediately.

When Jax turned back around he saw Alex's shoulders tremble again her fists clenched so tightly her knuckles were white. It she had nails much longer than they were she would have easily cut her palms. He felt sad for her, the emotion marring his features as he walked up behind her and took her balled fist in his hand.

Alex was breathing long, deep breaths but they weren't helping steady her in the least. If anything they were making her more lightheaded, but she had to do something. When she felt Jax's hand over hers, Alex had hoped it'd give her the strength to look up, but it didn't. She wasn't sure anything would.

"I don't know if I can do this." She said softly, tears coming through her closed eyes.

"We can leave." He told her honestly.

He didn't want to force her, but part of him knew Alex would take it even harder if she didn't. It was the same with him. There was some sick kind of closure that came with seeing a loved one in their coffin. As painful as it was, it did give closure.

Alex knew she wanted to look, she wanted to make sure it was Opie, to see him one last time, but her body wouldn't let her. Her body didn't want to acknowledge him being gone. If she looked in the coffin, it meant Opie wasn't coming back. It meant he was truly gone and Alex didn't know if she could take it. Up until now, she could deny it despite the voice in her head telling her he was gone, Alex could deny it.

Before she could stop herself however, Alex's body betrayed her. Against her wishes, she looked up. Her eyes fell immediately to the large man in the box and without hesitation tears cascaded from her lids. Jax heard her grunt in pain as though someone hit her before the shaking became more pronounced.

It was him. It was Opie. _Her_ Opie. He was lying in the shiny slate gray fabric lining a large black coffin. She couldn't even appreciate the job done to make him look so good, or the appropriate coffin. All she could see was him inside. He still looked alive. He looked like he was sleeping and that made it hurt all the more.

Alex began to cry harder, but her body moved. She stepped forward and out of Jax's grip. He stood back and let her do what she wanted to, what she needed to. A shaking hand came out and to gently touch the dead man's forehead, but never quite made it to his skin. A gasped 'awe' left her lips at the gash in his forehead, another on his cheek. Alex had to fight the urge to try and bandage him up, to get something to help close the wounds.

Suddenly Alex's knees shook their last and she collapsed to the floor. Jax moved for her immediately as she curled to the ground. He barely had to touch Alex's shoulder before the young woman spun around and held him tightly. Jax adjusted himself to hold her as Alex sobbed openly into his leather. He fought back his own tears for her, feeling her agony flow into him without his permission. It was palpable, enough he could almost taste it and drown from it.

Alex held to Jax tighter than anything she ever had in her life. She couldn't feel her fingertips after a while as they dug into Jax's leather, surely cutting bits of his cut without her knowledge. Everything was gone. Everything in her life had been destroyed and the pain of it was too much. It wasn't _almost_ overwhelming, it was passed that point.

Minutes ticked by, perhaps more before Alex could begin to feel her body again. Jax hadn't bothered moving her or even speaking. She would do what she could _when_ she could. Eventually, Alex did begin to move, giving Lax the validation he didn't realize he needed that she was alive.

Slowly and on shaking leg, Alex stood. Jax helped her without question to stand and released her when she had her bearing. She didn't look at him. Jax could see the anguish in her features, the brilliant pink eyes that shined from past and future tears. Her makeup was askew from shielding her face in her hands and her cheeks beet red from crying so hard it hurt.

Her back was to the coffin. Alex couldn't look back at Opie, not like that. She couldn't face seeing him in the box again and refused. Once was far more than enough for a thousand lifetimes. So, without speaking, Alex went towards the doors and opened them, Jax following her.

She didn't see the people looking at her, friend or otherwise. She didn't hear anyone speaking to her. There was nothing. Tara had moved to Jax's side as he wiped tears from his eyes, the two watching as Alex stepped out of the bar all together. The Teller couple shared worried glances before following after her. Neither were sure what she planned to do, if she only needed the air, but both knew she wasn't in any condition to drive.

As they made it to the doorway, to their horror Alex was in the middle of straddling Opie's bike. Without hesitation she kick started it.

"'Ey!" Jax called, rushing for the young woman.

If Alex heard, she didn't acknowledge him as she sped off out of the lot on Opie's SAMCRO bike. Her car was there. Her father's bike was there. But she wasn't.

Jax raced after her a few feet before he realized it was futile. His hands came to his head, running his fingers through his hair in frustration. Ordinarily someone else riding one of their bikes was an ass kicking offense at minimum, but that wasn't what bothered them this time. Despite no one saying anything to Alex because, well it was Alex and this kind of a day, but she shouldn't be driving. A moment ago, she couldn't even stand and now… there was no telling where she was going.

Honestly, when she stole the bike, Alex didn't know either. She only knew she had to get the hell out of there as fast as she could.


	36. Chapter 36

**The song is called House of the Rising Son by The White Buffalos. It's a really sad but great song and one that was in the show. After hearing it, this was all I could think about. I suggest you guys listen to it on youtube. Enjoy.**

Chapter 36

"_There is a house in Charming town, they call the Rising Son."_

Alex was sure she felt her cell phone ringing in her pocket at some point, but she didn't care. To be honest, it could have been the vibrations from the bike she was riding more than anything else. It wouldn't matter either way though. She wasn't going to talk to anyone. She wasn't going to do anything but keep riding as long as she had road.

"_And it's been the ruin of many a poor girl. And me, oh God, I'm one."_

The wind made her nearly go deaf, stinging her eyes and hurting her ears as it blew passed her at nearly eighty miles an hour. She could barely see in the night, but again she didn't care. Alex found it hard to give a damn about anything at the moment.

She did however; begin to care the most when the bike began to sputter. Alex glanced down and realized she'd run the thing dry. Releasing the throttle, Alex coasted with the bike until it came to a stop. She jumped off and walked with it, still beyond emotion. Running out of gas made her care, but not much.

Twenty or thirty minutes had passed before Alex spotted a gas station. She continued on, receiving a few looks from people but largely ignoring them as she pulled it to a pump. Alex had no wallet, no money, no anything that would let her pay for gas and after the prices started going up a few years ago, you weren't capable of getting the gas first without paying.

"That your bike?"

The random voice forced Alex out of her staring contest with the gasp pump. She looked around before spotting a man leaning against her it to her right, eying the black bike.

"Yeah." She answered under her breath, fighting the twinge it caused.

"Nice machine." He told her, still staring intently at it from the MC name to the reaper painted in plain sight.

"M-hm." She said, putting an end to her side of the conversation.

The man stared at the young woman with the disheveled hair and appearance. He figured he might as well leave her be or risk an outburst. Something about the way she looked made him think she was a psychotic biker bitch. Maybe she was.

As she continued to think on how she planned to get money for gas, Alex noticed the man across from her pay for his own and walk off when the pump began to fill his truck. She leaned to the side, cocking a brow at the man who entered the convenience store without a backwards glance.

Moving slowly, Alex grabbed the two liter water bottle out of the trash and tossed the cap. She moved to the other side of the man's truck, hidden behind its massive bed, and pulled out the pump. Without waiting, she filled her water bottle with gas. A chiming bell in the distance caused her to look up and see the man within. He wasn't the one that had exited, but he was about third in line at the register. Alex went back to her work.

When the two liter was filled, she emptied it into her tank and returned to the pump to fill it again. Her tank wasn't big, but it took more than a few liters of water. So she waited, filling the bottle a second time, leaning lazily against the gas pump. She might get caught. Maybe not. It really didn't matter.

By the time she made her third trip with the bottle, Alex noticed the man coming back towards his truck. He was fussing with a Slim Jim wrapper and since they seemed to be too difficult for him to master, he was distracted long enough for her to put the nozzle back into his truck and return to her bike.

She kick started Opie's motorcycle with its fresh tank of gas and sped off again. That place really was convenient.

"_If I listened to my momma, Lord I'd be home today. But I was young and foolish, a handsome rider led me astray."_

~~~~!~~~~

Jax had been struggling to get a hold of Alex for the better part of a few hours. She hadn't answered her phone, she wasn't home, and he didn't know where else to look. He didn't know what to do. The last thing he saw was her tear stained face and the desperation in her eyes before she fled. He didn't want to think about what that kind of pain might cause a person to do.

He had been pacing in his own living room since the last time he tried to call her without an answer. That was almost an hour ago. Alex had run off on Opie's bike at seven thirty and it was bordering now on midnight. In five hours time, she could be almost anywhere, perhaps not even in California anymore. Jax suddenly felt like he lost both of his siblings, not just one.

His ringing cell phone was so unexpected he felt his stomach jump. After waiting in silence listening only to the worst things his mind could come up with, Jax hadn't anticipated a cell phone. He answered it quickly.

"Yeah?" he all but demanded.

"_Jackie?"_

Jax felt his stomach immediately drop, relief sweep through him when he heard a familiar voice on the other end.

"Alex? Where the fuck have you been?" he snapped angrily into the phone's receiver.

"_I'm fine. Stop calling me."_ She told him in the same monotone voice she'd been using.

"Where are you?" he pressed.

"_Home."_ Alex replied. _"Now leave me alone."_

And without a goodbye or anything else, Alex hung up the phone. She didn't want to go into any details, talk about where she'd been, or anything else. She only wanted him to leave her alone.

Jax didn't know if he should be upset or relieved. The emotions of the passed few days were still swelling within him, unanswered and unwelcomed. It made his whole body hurt. He didn't know how to make it go away and had a feeling it never truly would.

~~~!~~~

Alex pushed her phone in her pocket before eyes fell to her empty bed. She found herself staring at it and the messed sheets and pillow that weren't caused by her. Her stomach turned again and lurched this time making her sick. Alex raced for the bathroom, barely able to make it before she spilled the miniscule contents of her stomach. The tears came again for more than one reason, but the knots never left.

Time held no sway over her anymore. She had nowhere to be, nothing that needed to be done, or people she cared to see. Time meant nothing for the first time in her life, so Alex moved as slowly as she could to waste as much of it as possible.

Eventually, though she wasn't certain how, Alex found herself lying on the couch, her cell phone back in hand though it didn't show her anything she should be looking at. Instead through teary eyes and clouded vision, Alex stared at the picture Tara had sent her a couple of days ago.

It was a picture of her and Opie, one Alex hadn't realized was ever taken. The large man was standing behind her, his arm protectively laced over her and hitched in her sling while she cradled it. She could see the cuts in her face, the bruising and knew from the background alone this was when they all killed Emmett. But it was Opie she stared at, the man that was gone now.

He looked so strong, angry but strong, like her protector and he was. Opie was larger than anyone she ever met, not just in stature but in caring. He gave his everything to the people he loved whether it killed him or not. Evidently, it was his loyalty that got him now.

"_My sweetheart he's a rambler, Lord he rides an old machine."_

The tears came again and the only thing she could do was bury her face into her palms and let them. Alex was broken completely now. The one person she considered her friend, her everything, was gone leaving her all alone and she didn't know what to do.

~~~~!~~~~

Days had passed and no one save Mary had seen Alex. Mary had stopped by to give Alex some of the food and flowers people had been giving her and Lyla. Everyone did that for the family when someone died. But no one did it for the mistress. That's what Alex had been reduced to in a few people's minds, _the other woman_, but if she knew she didn't care. Mary understood Alex more than Lyla was willing to try. The old woman knew her son and she knew what the two of them had lingering just beneath the surface for each other and knew what Alex lost. So, she brought her some of the 'condolence' swag.

Alex hadn't moved from her spot on the couch when Mary came by. She didn't answer the door either, Mary simply walking in with the spare key. She knew through Jax that Alex was home and figured she was unwilling to take guests, so Mary just wanted to drop the things by. When she had, she hadn't expected to see Alex lying on the couch under a blanket in the same clothes she'd worn to Opie's wake. From the looks of it, once she took her spot, Alex didn't move.

Despite trying to speak with the young woman, Mary received nothing in response. She wasn't sure what she assumed would happen, but wasn't surprised in the end. After dropping off the casseroles and house plants, Mary said her farewells and left Alex to herself. Alex barely registered someone having stopped by in the first place save the new scent of food in her home. She didn't care.

"_He's got one hand on the throttle, the other on the brake. He's riding back to Redwood, to (share) his father's (fate)."_

~~~!~~~

By the time Jax had enough, Alex was missing from Charming for over a week. Calls went unanswered. She never came to the door, and he didn't know what else to do. People asked him how she was doing knowing the two were close, but overestimated the degree. Alex hadn't been the same since Opie died and he could tell. If there was one thing that could rock the otherwise solid young woman's foundation, this was it.

Having enough of her behavior, Jax stormed to Alex's house to talk to her. She was scaring him. Hell, the last time she disappeared, she ended up with a guy like 'what's his name'. Alex didn't have the greatest track record when it came to her leaving Charming. Granted her track record _in_ Charming wasn't inspiring either.

As he pulled up to the house, Jax noticed nothing had changed. Other than him and Tara bringing Alex her car over a week ago, nothing had happened. Her grass was growing taller than her neighbors, her mail was pushing itself out of the mailbox and newspapers were forming a small pile near her door. His heart dropped.

Hooking his helmet to his handlebars, Jax went up to the front door and knocked. Nothing. He knocked again and once again there wasn't an answer. Instead of waiting, Jax opened the front door and couldn't believe what he saw.

Alex was lying on the couch. The TV was on, the remote somewhere on the coffee table amidst a sea of Ginger Ale cans and a half empty bag of chips, some of which rested on the wooden surface. Her skin was pasty, like she was ailing and bags beneath her eyes. Alex hadn't looked as though she'd slept in months despite him knowing otherwise.

The young woman didn't look to him, still curled tightly in her blanket as her eyes stared blankly at the television. Her hair looked matted and greasy, her shirt the same he saw her wear so many days ago and in that moment he knew for a fact she hadn't moved. Alex hadn't moved, showered or seemingly eaten in over a week.

"Jesus." He breathed, stepping further into the room, kicking a can aside with his boot.

He couldn't believe it. He understood, maybe, but he'd never thought someone like Alex would go catatonic like she had.

"Alex," he said softly, his face still twisted so tightly into sad disbelief it hurt. She didn't reply. "Alex?"

Again she didn't answer. Jax stepped closer, this time into her line of sight and still nothing. His brows pulled together tighter, if it were possible. He decided if she wasn't going to look t him, he would at least make sure she heard him.

Kicking aside another empty can that had fallen from the coffee table, Jax pushed everything in front of her to the side. He tried to do it gently, but there was nearly a twelve pack worth of the drink strewn over the surface. He was pretty sure one of two clanked to the ground before he had an area clear enough to take a seat. Alex continued to watch the television through the man.

"Alex, honey look at me." He all but pleaded, leaning his forearms onto his knees.

She didn't reply, but blinked. Blinking meant she was alive. It was amazing how much Jax needed that small action.

"Please," he asked. He still needed to know she heard him, to know she was there. "Are you with me Alex?"

Still nothing. His frustration and fear of with the young woman was growing and there was no way for it to stop until she gave him the slightest hint she was still alive. As it was, Alex was barely more than a shell of what she used to be.

Jax found himself sitting there staring at her for a few minutes before his cell phone rang. Reluctantly, the young man dug into his pocket and retrieved the device to answer it.

"Hello?" he asked heavily.

"_Jax?" _Tara asked apprehensively. "_How is she?"_

Tara had been the one to convince Jax to pay Alex a visit. To be honest, he didn't need much convincing, but she was the one that pushed him to actually do it. He was grateful to her for it. After Alex's reaction to Jax's news about Opie and how violently she struggled to get a hold of him, the man wasn't sure being alone with the young woman was a good idea.

With his wife on the other line, Jax pushed himself up from his seat and moved into the back of the house. He caught sight of the dying plants and casseroles that were passed their prime in her kitchen. His heart dropped a bit further before he ducked into her bathroom and closed the door behind him.

"I don't know." He answered honestly, taking a seat on her toilet and running his fingers through his hair. "She doesn't even look the same anymore."

"_What do you mean?"_

"She's pale. She doesn't look like she's eaten."

"_Is it really that surprising? I mean, it's pretty obvious she was in love with Opie, Jax. She's depressed."_

"It's more than that." He sighed, shaking his head again. "I don't know what to do."

And he didn't. Jax had never dealt with something like this. If this was depression, Alex was passed the point of normal return and was going to need something big to…

Before Jax could finish his through, something caught his eye. He felt them narrow skeptically as he reached out and took the small boxed object into his hands. He read the label over and over again. It was simple and to the point, but he couldn't help it. There was something wrong with what he was seeing.

As bad as it sounded, he _expected_ Alex to slip into her parent's paths. That had been his main fear when it came to telling her about Opie. Her parents were both addicts. Her mom was a painkiller kind of gal while her old man was booze. Part of him knew those genes ran through Alex and how likely it was she could sink into that same life when something like this pushed her to it, but what he found was beyond that. He expected painkillers, liquor, maybe even crank or something like that, but not this. Jax never expected this.

"Fuckin' Christ." He breathed, his heart all but stopping in his chest when the cylindrical object inside the cardboard fell out and onto the tile floor.

"_What?"_ Tara asked quickly, hearing the borderline panic in Jax's words. _"Jax, what's going on?"_

The young man was having trouble hearing anything other than the beating heart in his chest. He dropped the phone, spotting another box matching the first and dumped out whatever might be inside.

By the time he was done, Jax had six small chunks of plastic, each bearing the same tell-tale marks of being used. He felt knots in his stomach before they began to migrate to his throat. His eyes burned with the threat of tears at the display.

Now it made sense. Now he knew why she hadn't moved. He knew why she had slipped into her coma like state. He knew why Alex was so angry, distraught and looked to have given up on everything. Now he knew and it didn't make him feel any better.

"_Jax!"_

His name being screamed in the background forced the young man to snap to and grab his phone. He pressed it to his ear just as Tara screamed again, her own panic setting in.

"Yeah." He replied, his eyes moving disbelievingly over the trash on the floor.

"_What's happening?" _she demanded, a hint of anger in her voice.

"I know what's wrong." Jax replied as though he'd discovered the largest secret in the world. Then again… he kind of felt like he had. "I know what's wrong with Alex."

"_Ope's gone."_ Tara said, her voice turning sad. "_I know. We all know."_

"No. It's not. Tara," Jax began. His hand came to his mouth as he stared at the pieces, still unable to comprehend the news. "Alex is pregnant."

"_And me I wait in Charming town, the game I (loathe) has won... And I'm staying here to end my life, down in the Rising Son."_

__**Next ones better. Alex gets some sense knocked into her.  
**


	37. Chapter 37

**I'm updating early. I'll probably still put another one up tomorrow, but I wanted to add this tonight regardless. I know it's been sad the past few chapters but its lightening up a bit. This one's not as bad, the next is even lighter. Enjoy!**

Chapter 37

Silence stretched for a while on the line, neither party sure what the hell they were supposed to say. Jax was still having trouble trying to come to grips with the six pregnancy tests with plus signs on the floor, the three boxes tossed to the side empty.

_"Are… are you sure?"_ Tara found herself asking after a minute or two of complete silence.

Jax found himself nodding, as though his wife were there to see the action. He wasn't certain words were possible at the moment. Of all the things in the world he had assumed might be troubling Alex, being pregnant wasn't one of them.

And then it hit him.

"Oh god…"

The words left his mouth before he could stop the.

_"What?" _Tara asked desperately.

Rarely, if ever, had she heard Jax sound so lost, worried and desperate to understand what was happening than he did at that moment. The times she had, nothing good followed and not being there was making her nerves grow thinner and more fragile. Along with everyone else, Tara had been worried about her friend. Unlike everyone else, Alex told Tara things about her and Opie's relationship. It wasn't much, but it was more than anyone else knew and that made her fear what might happen in the absence of people.

"It's Opie's, isn't it?"

He didn't know why the thought hadn't donned on him before, but when it had he felt it hit hard. The realization that Alex was not only pregnant but with Opie's kid… Jesus. After everything he had gone through, the young man didn't have the chance to be happy for her, only feeling the pity and sadness.

_"How would I know?"_ she snapped.

The two friends couldn't be happy for Alex. They wanted to, desperately, but they couldn't. They wanted to see the young woman, their friend and sister, pregnant with the baby of their other friend and brother. They wanted to be happy for her finally having her first child. They couldn't be happy _because_ she was pregnant. They couldn't be happy _beca_useit was Opie's.

"I need to go." He finally said. "I'll call you later."

_"Yeah, okay baby. Love you."_

"Love you too."

Jax snapped his phone shut and pushed it into his pocket before scooping up everything he'd pulled from the trash and tossed it back into the bin. He moved out into the living room again and like before Alex remained where she was. She hadn't moved an inch in the time he was gone, though he wasn't sure he'd expected her to in the first place.

He stood in the entryway to her hall, his eyes dead set on her as he tried to think about what to say. As strong and as hard as Jax Teller was on the outside, he was nothing more than a lost kid right now. He wanted to protect her, to make her feel better about everything, but he didn't know how. There was nothing he could do within his power that would make Alex feel better.

"Alex," he managed to say, moving forward and taking a seat in the spot he'd cleared before. Alex didn't move as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. He looked sadly at the young woman who stared right through him. "Why didn't you say anything?"

Silence.

"I could've…"

Jax stopped. He didn't know what he could've done for her. He wanted to say there was something, anything he had the power to do, but there wasn't so he stopped speaking. Instead, he sighed and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.

"Is it Ope's?"

The words, like so many before them, came spilling out of the man's lips before his better judgment could stop them. Jax's eyes were down and he felt grateful for it. Then again, Alex wasn't acknowledging him in the slightest, so perhaps an angered reaction wasn't going to happen anyway. When he did manage to look to her though, Jax felt his stomach turn when her brilliant green eyes, hollow and broken, were aimed at him.

He didn't know what to say. Any relief he felt for her having the wherewithal to focus on something other than the blank space in front of her was overshadowed by the look in her eyes. If she didn't look like Alex, he never would have made the connection. Any life, warmth and happiness that generally made Alex's eyes shine so brilliantly was gone. They were dull, lackluster and still red rimmed.

As cold as her eyes made him feel, the distant look within them, Jax found the courage to speak. For some reason, he felt like he was trying to talk to a ghost. He felt just as stupid too, talking to a specific person and getting nothing in return. She might as well be a ghost, but now she was staring right at him. His words seemed to have finally made it through the veil between the worlds and contact was made.

"Is it?" he asked again, figuring he should stay with his line of questioning. If that was what merited her attention, he was going to stick with it.

She didn't answer, but she reacted. Alex's brows twitched slightly before her eyes turned glassy and pink. With her next blink, tears slowly glided down the side of her face and it was then he knew. Yeah, it was.

"Why didn't you say anything?"

_"Like what?"_ he thought to himself, carrying on a conversation without her speaking. Jax found himself sighing again, his head dropping between his shoulders.

"What do you need?" he asked, looking up at her again to see Alex still crying silently. Her brows slowly came together this time without relaxing.

Alex continued to cry without sound, an eerie thing to witness, before pulling the blanket up to her face and shielding herself from everything outside the pale blue throw blanket. Jax's brows furrowed, his eyes burning at the soft whimpering he heard from coming beneath the blanket.

He was lost. He didn't know how to make this better. There was nothing he could do, that he was _allowed_ to do. He wasn't going to lie to her and say everything was alright, because he didn't know if it was. He wasn't going to tell her she'd be fine, because he didn't know. He didn't know anything and the only thing he could think of was call for back up.

Standing up and walking into the back room again, Jax dialed Tara's number again and asked her to come over to Alex's house. He all but begged her to. He didn't know if there was anyone else that might be able to get through to Alex enough for actual speech. Not to mention Tara had access to drugs. That might be good in the end.

~~~~!~~~~

When Tara arrived, Jax let her in before she could knock. She could see the worry on the man's face and his need to be out of the situation. That was the main reason he'd called her in the end. Jax had no idea what to do when it came to consoling someone else. He barely had a handle on himself.

She forced a smile, kissing the man on the cheek before whispering she'd call him later. He thanked her and left as fast as he could without looking as though he were running from Alex. He was, of course. The threat of drowning or being smothered in her anguish was too much after a half an hour.

Tara watched her husband ride away before closing the door behind her and seeing Alex for the first time. She couldn't suppress the shocked gasp. True Alex wasn't one to put on a show for people, to overly do herself or be as primed as Gemma, but she at least took care of herself. The thing lying on the couch wasn't the Alex Tara knew.

"Jesus." She mumbled to herself, slowly walking forward and finding her spot where Jax had sat on the coffee table. She set her bag of tricks down on the floor beside her. "Alex, can you… will you look at me?"

Alex didn't speak. At this point, the two Teller's had begun to wonder if she even knew how. Considering no one had been to her house in over a week and the last thing she said was to Jax at Opie's wake, it was easily ten days since Alex had spoken to a soul. It'd be impressive if it wasn't so depressing.

Tara's eyes slowly moved along the scene she found herself in. It was dismal. There was a faint smell of rotting food in the air, the edges of dead house plants visible through the doorway to the kitchen and piles of trash everywhere. The ginger ale cans and half empty bag of chips weren't inspiring if what Jax said was true.

"Are you pregnant?" Tara asked bluntly. Her concern for Alex was waning in comparison to the concern she felt for the possible fetus.

Alex heard Tara's tone of voice and honestly, she wasn't in the mood to deal with it. She wanted to be alone. She didn't want the people around her that said they would protect Opie, that they would take care of her.

"Leave." Alex croaked, her voice hoarse from lack of use.

Tara's eyes narrowed on the young woman who dared to speak.

"No." Tara snapped back without hesitation.

Alex's eyes suddenly focused on the young doctor with laser accuracy. It made her insides jerk.

"Get. Out." Alex growled through clenched teeth, her hoarse voice making the words sound sinister.

"No."

"Get the fuck out of my house Knowles!" Alex suddenly shouted, her body shaking with every forced word.

Tara jumped, this time shooting back from Alex and nearly tripped over the coffee table she sat on. Within an instant, tears flowed from Alex's eyes again as she stared hatefully at Tara.

The anger wasn't for her friend, not truly. Alex didn't even know if she was angry. Everything in her body still ached. Her heart hurt from breaking, her eyes from crying and her lungs from breathing. Everything felt like it was struggling to keep her alive and every time someone she cared about came by or spoke to her it was nothing more than a blinding reminder of the now gone man she loved.

"No!" Tara shot back, feeling her own aggravation growing. "If you're pregnant, this bullshit isn't fucking helping anybody!"

With an angry swat, Tara tossed a few cans off the coffee table and to the ground. Their hollow clanks didn't seem to bother either young woman. In fact, for the first time in who knew how long, Alex stood for something other than the bathroom or cans of ginger ale.

"Leave me alone!"

Even though she was yelling, Alex had lost all intensity and strength to her words. The anger was gone from her face, but she still wanted to be loud.

"I'm not going anywhere. Not when you're going to sit here and rot. If you want to kill yourself, fine, but I'm not going to leave you here to kill your kid too!"

She knew the moment half of the words left her mouth they were a bad idea, but god damn it, someone needed to snap Alex out of this shit.

"This isn't about just you anymore Alex." Tara said, her voice calmer than before.

Alex's eyes filled with more tears to the point Tara wondered how she had anymore left in her body. The anger had left her face and only sadness remained.

"I don't think I can do this." Alex breathed.

Tara calmed down more than before and moved forward. She hugged her friend tightly and felt her tremble in her arms.

"We're here, you know that. You've got me, Jax and the Club."

Without warning, Alex shoved herself away from Tara and all but glared at her again.

"The _Club_ took everything away from me." She hissed venomously.

"I didn't…" Tara sighed. "The Club loved Opie, they love you. _Clay_ took everything, from everyone."

"And the Club lets him live."

"If you hate SAMCRO, fine. You want to kill everyone that ever wronged you, fine. But you and I both know this bullshit doesn't fucking matter. You're going to have a baby," she said as though she'd been trying to press that into Alex's brain. "_Opie's_ baby."

"I don't know what to do, Tara." She said, her voice cracking again.

Tara forced a smile and walked towards the young woman, gently taking her forearms into her palms. She gently squeezed Alex's arms to try and reassure her as best she could.

"I'll help you." She said honestly. "And first, you need to take a shower. You look and smell like shit."

Before Alex could stop herself, she laughed. It was weak, anemic even, but a laugh nonetheless. Tara smiled and hugged her friend again. This time Alex hugged her back, almost burying her face into the woman's neck.

"It's going to be okay." Tara told her kindly.

Alex managed to nod, knowing nothing would ever be all right again, but it could be better. She could feel better than she did at that moment.


	38. Chapter 38

**Little bit of revenge goes a long way. Enjoy!**

Chapter 38

Tara had managed to get Alex to take a shower and change, something that was surprisingly easy given the young woman hadn't moved in over a week. Tara expected some kind of resistance, protest or some reasoning why she didn't want to but received a nod instead before Alex disappeared into the bathroom.

The hot water felt good on her skin, better than anything else had thus far. Alex stood beneath the stream, steam flowing from the showerhead as she looked down. Her stomach wasn't distended yet, or looked much different than normal, but it would. Her hand slowly came out and gently held her lower stomach just beneath her belly button and knew that soon a giant moose-man's baby was going to be growing ever larger within. A weak smile touched her lips at the thought before the inevitable sadness came back.

Tara waited outside of the bathroom, obviously, and in Alex's kitchen. She cringed her face at everything as she dumped one casserole into the trash after another. They were beginning to grow fur while the plants were browning and dying. The doctor did little more than turn on the cool water in Alex's sink and drench them, to ensure they'd receive some nourishment. With a heavy black bag, Tara twisted the top shut and opened the front door to toss it onto the front porch when her phone rang.

"Hello?" she asked, pushing her phone to her ear with her shoulder so she wouldn't risk whatever trash juice touched her hands dirtying her cell.

"_Hey babe. How's it going?"_ Jax asked on the other end.

Tara took a deep breath and sighed, but smiled slowly as she stepped back inside and closed the door again.

"Better." She answered honestly. "She's better. I finally got her to take a shower at least."

"_Good."_ He chuckled lightly before it faded again. "_Are you going to find out…"_

"She's letting me take her to the doctor to find out how far along she is." Tara interrupted, sensing what Jax wanted to know.

"_Okay. Well I've got some shit to take care of today, so I'll give you a call later."_ He said, unwilling to tell her he had Pope waiting.

"Okay. I love you."

"_I love you too."_

And with that the two hung up. Tara glanced around and noted the trash everywhere. She wished she could be surprised by it but she wasn't. In fact, this seemed right about where Alex would be after Opie's death. This seemed more normal than anything else so far.

"You cleaned up."

Tara turned and noticed Alex was waking towards her in new clothing, drying her hair with a towel as she approached down the hall.

"You had rotting food."

Alex shrugged her shoulder.

"Yeah well… Mary shouldn't have bothered bringing it." Alex mumbled, tossing the towel sideways into the bathroom. "Do I really have to do this?"

"Yeah. You do." Tara nodded with a cocked brow, noticing Alex's hand touch her stomach again. "We need to see how far along you are."

"It's just weird." She mumbled, mostly to herself, before turning back into her room for some shoes.

Tara smiled. _Weird_ didn't seem fitting. This was _fucking_ weird. That worked much better.

~~~~!~~~~

Alex's knees wouldn't stop bouncing. She had her feet propped up against the bottom lip of the examination bed she sat on and it was giving her just enough support to constantly bob her legs. It was riding on Tara's last nerve, even more so with the crunching of the paper sheet on the bed.

"Stop." She finally snapped, slamming her hands down on Alex's knees.

"I'm nervous." She shot back, pushing away Tara's hands.

"That's fine, but enough with the damn bouncing. Jesus." Tara sighed, falling back onto her stool when the door opened.

"Miss Walker?" the young woman asked.

"Yes ma'am."

This time Alex's toes curled, her fingers too as she nervously tried to hold onto anything and make herself as small as possible.

"So, I hear you're pregnant." She smiled warmly.

"If those little pee sticks are anything to go by…" Alex replied, receiving a glare from Tara.

"It's her first pregnancy." Tara said to her coworker.

"Understandable." The doctor smiled before taking a seat. "So the test said you're positive?"

"All six said I was positive."

Alex wasn't in the mood for this and Tara could tell. While she kept her eyes narrowed on her friend, the young woman that had recently entered the room remained warm.

"Alright then, well do me a favor and lie back. Let's see if we can't find out how far along you are and see how healthy this baby is."

Alex grumbled under her breath and tried to keep the words from leaving her mouth. She wanted to spout off but thought it best not to. Tara looked like she was willing to start hitting the young woman if she did.

Alex slammed her eyes shut to try and push passed the discomfort of the whole situation. She tried to focus on anything that wasn't the woman touching her. She found herself able to focus on one thing thought. The ring on her right thumb. Alex spun Opie's ring around and around until she lost count of the times. She didn't know how long the doctor was working, but realized she wanted it to end more than before.

"Okay then." The newest woman chimed with a smile. "Looks like you're about six weeks along."

"Six weeks?" Tara asked as the other doctor pushed up Alex's shirt for the sonogram.

Alex glanced to Tara a bit surprised, the two sharing a look when that cold goop was spread across her belly and a picture appeared.

"Yeah." The doctor answered, bringing up some kind of image on the screen, both Tara and the other doctor able to see the fetus. Alex was the only 'non' doctor mind in the room and she was the one with the damn baby. "You see this here? That's his head."

"He?" Alex snapped, amazed they'd know.

"Oh, I'm sorry. It's to early to tell the baby's sex, but I always thought it was kind of rude calling the fetus 'it'." She answered simply, turning back to the screen as she rubbed the goop into Alex's stomach further. "I'd say the baby is definitely nearing six weeks."

"Can you get more specific?" Tara asked, knowing Alex was having trouble looking away from the blipping heartbeat on the monitor. Her mouth was still slack at the sight.

"If I had to guess, I'd say somewhere around the end of June." She replied, taking a snap shot of the blob for Alex. "Here you go."

She handed the stunned young woman the picture of her baby.

"Oh my god." Alex mumbled, unaware the doctor was wiping some of the slop off her skin as she stared at the bean in her stomach.

Alex knew when the child was conceived. If the doctor was right, it was the night of Piney's 'funeral', when she found out what happened and Piney was burning in the oven. It was the night Opie shot Clay and came to her house later that night.

Tears started to form in her eyes again and Tara knew why. Now it was real. The tests could have been positive, but still left room for denial. Seeing and hearing a heartbeat inside you that wasn't your own was proof, real tangible proof and that was what seemed to be affecting Alex like it was.

She didn't hear the two other women talking to each other as Alex stared at the glossy picture in her hand. It seemed too much. It was way too much. She was happy, thrilled honestly, but overwhelmingly sad too. Opie wasn't going to be there. She wasn't going to be able to go home and show him the picture. She wasn't going to be able to tell him they were having a baby. She couldn't do any of that.

Arms wrapped around her and Alex instinctively held to the figure tighter. The other doctor had left the two young women alone and when she had, Tara hugged her friend. Alex clung to her shirt and cried into the fabric. Tara tried to be strong for her, but it was a sad situation for both young women.

After a while, when the tears had all but run dry, Alex finally moved. Together, she and her only friend left the hospital and drove back home. Alex hadn't been able to look away from the picture in her hand the whole way.

Tara wanted to tell her congratulations, but she wasn't sure if Alex was entirely thrilled with the situation and didn't want to upset her further if she was. But the thought of Alex being pregnant, of her growing large and having a baby of her own that she would love more than anything or anyone else in the world was something that still brought a smile to Tara's lips.

When they pulled up to Alex's house, Tara put the car in park and waited. Still the young woman hadn't looked away from the picture in her hand.

"Hey,"

Alex looked up to the smiling Tara.

"You know you're not alone, right?"

Alex stared blankly for a moment before forcing her own smiling and nodding gently.

"Yeah," Alex nodded again. She didn't believe a single bit of what she was about to say. "I know."

She didn't believe any of it. In her mind, just because people were there didn't mean she wasn't alone. She felt alone.

"Thanks, for this." Alex said, holding up the picture briefly. "I appreciate it."

Tara nodded and kept the kind smile.

"Yeah. Give me a call some time. Okay?"

"Sure."

And with a forced farewell, Alex stepped out of the car and moved into the house. She closed the door behind her and felt herself lean against it. She couldn't look away from the picture. Even though Alex was still having trouble deciphering what she was looking at, she knew it was a human being.

A ringing phone brought her out of her train of thought. Absently, Alex fished for her phone with her free hand and answered it.

"Yeah?" she asked loftily.

"_Hey darlin'. How're you feeling?"_

"I'm fine Jax." She said, uncertain of whether or not she believed her words.

"_Good. Look, I need you to do me a favor."_

Alex's eyes narrowed. Part of her wanted to say he had no right asking her for anything while the other tried to make her remember it wasn't Jax's fault. Not everything was Jax's fault. At one point she loved him like her brother and she needed to remember that.

"What?" she asked without enthusiasm.

"_I need you to meet me somewhere."_ He continued, hearing the tonal drop. "_You'll like it. I promise."_

There was a hint of a smile to his words that intrigued her more than it rightfully should. Alex cocked a brow.

"What do you need?"

"_I'll text you the directions. Be here in ten minutes. Okay?"_

"Yeah, fine." She replied, her eyes falling back to the picture.

"_Okay. See you soon darling."_

Alex nodded but didn't speak, snapping her phone shut and awaiting the text. Her eyes hadn't moved from the glossy print, but she did. Slowly Alex moved into the kitchen and found herself hanging the image on her fridge. She took a step back and stared at it. The young woman still didn't know what to think about it. She knew part of her was happy… but what else? She didn't know what else was coursing through her.

Her phone beeped and signaled she had the directions of the location Jax wanted her to be. She glanced to it, knew the area a bit, not well, but round about, and headed off. Her mind was distracted, as anyone else's would be in that situation. To her horror, Alex started wondering if this was fair to the unborn bean. If bringing it into this world was fair…

Alex managed to find the location in the middle of suburbia in a little longer than ten minutes, but she noticed familiar vehicles. Her brows came together in confusion as she got out of her car and looked around. She knew the guys and they were nowhere to be seen.

Hesitantly, Alex approached the house she assumed the numbers in the message meant and was a bit relieved to see Tig just inside the window of the door. They must have been watching for her and wanted her to know they were there without the rest of the neighborhood knowing too. She nodded her acknowledgment to the man who opened the front door when she was close.

"Hey sweetheart." He said kindly, his voice sincere and warm. "How you feelin?"

"Fine." Alex replied quietly. The last time she'd seen anyone of them, she nearly killed Jax and stole Opie's bike.

"Come on."

She followed the man with crazy hair into the kitchen of the home and found something she wasn't expecting. Bobby, Chibs and Jax were standing, decked in black, around a man bound and gagged on the tile floor. She knew there had to be a reason, but she had no damn idea what it was. With wide eyes, Alex noticed the woman in the pink bathrobe with half of her head missing.

"Why am I here?" she asked, unable to hide her shock.

Jax pushed himself up from his leaning seat against the kitchen table and approached the young woman, drawing her attention. His face was serious.

"You need something darling." He told her evenly. "After Ope," her brows twitched together. She hadn't heard his name out loud since the wake and didn't want to. "You ain't been right."

Alex's eyes moved around and noticed the guys staring sympathetically at her.

"So you bring me to suburbia?" she asked, her stare turning back to him.

A wry smile daringly touched the corner of the man's lips as he looped an arm around her shoulder and joined her side, the two staring at the man on his knees.

"I brought you a present." He told her. "_This_ is the dick that ordered the job."

Alex's eyes instantly narrowed, her body filling with hate and every iota of confusion gone, overshadowed by unadulterated hatred.

"He took our boy into the cage and let the dogs loose." Jax continued, his own voice taking an edge.

"Did he now…" Alex said evilly. "That's interesting."

"Aye." Chibs said.

"Yeah." Tig added.

The two solidified Jax's statement, both the only others to have gone to county with Opie.

Alex's eyes began to water again and she didn't feel the need to stop it. Her brows came together hatefully as she walked forward out of Jax's grip. The guys watched as she slowly stepped closer to the guard and bent over by him, she gripped the back of his head tightly by the hair, ensuring he was staring her in the eyes.

"So you're the one," she began in a shaky voice. "That took him away. You stole my friend, my brother…" her voice cracked, forcing the emotion onto the men watching whether they welcomed it or not. "Because of you, my baby will never meet his father." Alex didn't know if the others heard her or not, but she didn't care. Her eyes were focused on the man with blood and tears on his face, barely able to keep eye contact with her. "You killed the only man I've ever loved, and I hope you rot in hell."

Without warning, Alex moved. She used her grip to slam the man's head into her knee repeatedly. She knew his nose broke, blood pouring from it and staining her denim, but she didn't stop until someone pulled her back. It was Chibs.

She struggled to get out of his grip for a moment until Jax took her place behind the guard. A snow globe was in his hand, playing a dulcet tune that became the soundtrack to the man's vicious death. Alex stopped moving the moment Jax began to violently beat the man and stood aside with her friends and family. She watched, unblinking, as the man stopped moving and Jax opened the back of his head.

Eventually Jax stopped though it was obvious he would have kept going until he broke the instrument. As it was, there wasn't much left of the guard's head to keep beating. Still stewing, he looked to Alex and saw her stare at him. He nodded briefly to her and then she knew. She knew why he called her. He knew she wanted revenge, a body for the one she watched being carted away in a coffin, and Jax gave it to her.

Slowly he walked towards her, breathing heavily as he looked down at the young woman.

"I love you darling." He told her. "Anything you need, just tell us. We got it. You hear me?"

Alex slowly began to nod.

"Yeah, Jackie. I hear you."

In that little bit, Jax prayed he expressed how much she'd frightened him with the way she was acting the passed week and a half. And he did. She could tell what he was referring to.

Jax nodded relieved and bent forward, kissing her forehead softly before pulling back.

"We're family." He told her.

"Always and forever." She smiled weakly, causing him to do the same.

With another kiss to the forehead, Jax went about telling the guys what they had to do. Alex remained for a moment, watching and listening vaguely before saying her own farewells to the guys. She had to get home and change before the blood permanently stained her clothing.

As horrible as it was, Alex was a bit happier now. The man being so brutally beaten to death seemed to give her just enough strength to carryon, at least for now, and push passed her own shit. It was amazing what a bit of revenge could do for the soul.


	39. Chapter 39

**Oh updating this much is going to kick my ass in the end, but I can't help it. I want you guys to get where I am in the story! :) This is a short little one for now. Hope you enjoy.**

Chapter 39

The following day, Tara gave Alex a list, an impressive list, of things that will help her during the pregnancy ranging from foods to vitamins. It was a sweet gesture, but damn. Alex wondered briefly if Tara was more excited about her being pregnant than Alex was. In the end, it wasn't that Alex wasn't happy, she was, incredibly so, it was just the daunting task of raising the child without Opie. The thought that he'd never meet his own child, his newest, broke her heart. The idea of having a baby was both the best and worst thing to happen to Alex. Horrible, horrible combination.

After going to the grocery store and pharmacy, Alex found herself pulling into the driveway of an all too familiar house. She paused next to the small silver Prius and wondered if this was the best idea. Then again, it'd be hard for Lyla to hang up on her when Alex was on the doorstep. The only real reason Alex stopped the car was because Mary's was parked on the street. At least the Winston matriarch could calm the whore down.

Alex somehow made it to the door and hesitated to knock. When she had, she heard Elle inside calling out that she'd get it. Soon enough, the young girl opened the door and Alex couldn't hide the smile.

"Hey sweetie. How's it going?"

"Aunt Alex." Elle chimed, opening the screen and hugging the young woman tightly around the stomach.

Alex felt the tears burn behind her lids again but held tightly to the little girl. She couldn't help it. Alex loved them both.

Evidently Elle's call had alerted everyone within the house to the young woman's arrival. Shortly after, Kenny arrived and did the same. Alex laughed, hugging both kids to her tightly when Lyla and Mary emerged in the doorway. One smiled sadly while the other glared at the young woman. Guess which was which…

Alex noted the stern gaze in Lyla's face and removed her own smile, pulling back from the kids.

"Hey guys, I'm gonna talk to Lyla for a minute. Give us a sec?"

The two looked a little disappointed but nodded reluctantly and went back inside. Lyla told them to go ahead and finish their homework in the kitchen with Piper while she and Mary talked to Alex.

"Good to see you around." Mary said, coming forward and hugging Alex.

"Yeah. Good to be around."

"You had me worried there for a while." She said, pulling back and holding the young woman's face. "Don't do that shit anymore. Okay?"

"Yes ma'am." Alex smiled.

"Good." Mary nodded, patting Alex's cheek. "I'll give you two a minute."

Lyla nodded, still moving uncomfortably as Mary walked into the house behind her. Slowly, she stepped onto the porch enough to close the door behind her but made no move to approach Alex. She stared as 'threateningly' as she could, but come on. It was kind of pathetic in comparison to what Alex knew she could do.

"Why are you here?" Lyla asked evenly.

"I wanted to talk to you." Alex replied, trying to keep the conversation civil.

Lyla scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"_Now_ you want to talk? You couldn't talk while you were fucking my husband? I thought you were my friend."

"I was. I am. But you don't understand."

"Then explain it to me." She snapped.

Alex cocked a brow to the young woman. She expected this and had to bite her tongue. After all, Lyla did have a right to be angry… probably.

"What exactly pisses you off so much, huh?" Alex asked sarcastically. She tried to stay calm… "That Opie and I got together or that he was happier with me?"

Lyla's eyes went wide and Alex knew she said something wrong. She grimaced and planted her palms into her face.

"I'm sorry." She said through her hands before lowering them. "I'm sorry. That's… I didn't want to come here and do this."

"Yeah, well you already did. Now what? Do you want the house? The money? His kids?" she shot off angrily. "You already took his bike."

"I helped him build it." Alex hissed. "I've known Opie all my life; ever since I was fucking born it's been me, Jax and Opie. You have any idea what it's like to lose someone that you love that much? Do you?" her voice was cracking but hadn't lost her intensity. "I have _nothing_ to remember him by now and you have everything. You, the one that bailed when he needed you, the one that ran off when you got scared and killed his fucking kid and now you want to shut me out of my own family. If you want to hate me, fine, fucking hate me and keep all this bullshit, but I have a right to spend time with Elle and Kenny."

At some point during her rant Lyla had shifted from angry to aghast. She looked horrified at what Alex was saying at the tears in the young woman's eyes. It was obvious she cared about Opie, but now Lyla felt like she was catching a glimpse of it and it kind of scared her.

Alex took a moment when she was done talking to gather herself and breathed deeply before speaking again.

"If you want to accuse me of stealing Ope, or ruining your life, whatever, fine," she said calmly. "But I love Elle and Kenny, and I still want to be in their lives. So, if you want me to take them a few days a week, or baby-sit or something, I'd be happy to. But it's up to you."

And with that, she turned to leave. Lyla stood on the front porch for a moment, unsure of what exactly happened when Mary walked out behind her and headed for Alex. It should have surprised them that she was eaves dropping, but it really didn't.

"Alex honey," Mary called.

Alex stopped when she opened her car door and watched the woman come closer, an envelope in her hand.

"Here, this is for you."

Alex's brows came together in confusion as she hesitantly took the envelope. Her name was written across it in handwriting she didn't know.

"What is it?"

"I don't know. The lawyers dropped it off when they couldn't reach you. Someone named Rossen."

Alex nodded, staring at the piece of paper and forced a smile.

"Thanks."

Mary nodded and turned to go back inside. Alex moved slower than before to get into her car but when she looked up and noticed Lyla staring at her, she found the strength to start the car and drive away from the house she shared with Opie.

Alex finally got back home and grabbed the envelope. She opened it quickly and found a letter inside along with a key. She eyed the key with as much understanding as she could, which wasn't much, before opening the folded piece of paper. It was in handwriting that made her gut turn, sloppy, crooked and familiar. Her eyes began to instantly burn.

_Alex,_

_Hopefully Rossen gave this to you. You're at TM right now with the guys. They're turning themselves in in a few minutes so this isn't gonna be long. The key goes to a storage unit I've got stashed away. There ain't much in it, a few boxes of shit and dad's old bike, but I want you to have everything inside. There's some old pictures and shit I know you like and some cash buried in there somewhere too._

_I know you're gonna be pissed at me for a while. Knowing you it might be a few months. You're an ass that way. But I can't let the guys go in by themselves. Dad's right. I'm too loyal for my own damn good, but Jax is our brother. You'd probably do the same if you could._

_I don't know how shit's gonna play out, but I'll come home. I promise. I told you I'd take care of you, make sure you're safe, and I will. I'm not gonna let anything happen to you again. No matter what, I'm coming home for you._

_I'm getting out of SAMCRO. I can't take this shit anymore. Maybe I'll go back when Clay's dead, but I can't deal with that shit anymore. I have to get the rest of my family out of there before they end up in the ground with pops and Donna. You, me and the kids can go somewhere else. I don't really give a shit where, but somewhere away from Clay and his poison._

_I love you, more than anything. I'll be home soon._

_Ope._

Alex didn't make it to the end of the letter before the tears fell and the pain in her chest returned. Her vision was more than fuzzy but she forced herself to finish the letter. She had to. She had to see his words and as hard as it was, she heard his voice in her head.

The pain was opened anew and she couldn't take it, cradling the letter to her chest as she curled into her stomach. Opie lied. He didn't come home to her. He didn't come to save her like he promised. He was gone.

Like before, she found herself on the couch crying for the man that was gone. It was an increasingly common thing it seemed, but she couldn't help it. She loved him more than she realized until he was gone.

~~~~!~~~~

Later that day, and much to Alex's surprise, she finally put the letter away and gathered her strength to stand. She had things to do, things that crying would get in the way of. Alex couldn't wallow in her misery, not when she had someone else depending on her well being. If she was by herself, maybe, but she remembered how hurt Opie was when Lyla had an abortion. She didn't want to risk 'upsetting' Opie either by not taking care of their own child.

After putting her things away, the vitamins and so forth that she'd left in the car, Alex found herself driving to the storage unit Opie left the key for. She was grateful the man remembered to include the place's name and unit number. It wasn't likely she'd have found it otherwise.

Alex drove through the winding lanes of storage units before finding the one near the back with the correct number. Throwing her car into park, the young woman stepped out and grabbed the key from her pocket. Alex took a few steady breaths before daringly putting the key in the lock and undoing it. She tossed the lock into her open car, letting it thump into her driver's seat and threw the metal door open to see what lay within.

Opie was right. There were cardboard boxes of crap, some of the boxes tearing, some plastic crates mixed within all shoved to the back to make room for Piney's bike. Alex was kind of relieved he hadn't found a buyer for it before he went into county. She didn't want some jack off driving it around. It was her dad's bike and only his.

She fought the twinge of pride and grief seeing the motorcycle created and slowly moved into the back. She had to go carefully otherwise she might knock something down which wouldn't be good for anyone.

Glancing leisurely over the boxes, Alex found one that caught her eye. It was tackily labeled 'old pictures and shit' which made her smile. Alex moved closer, as close as she could, and struggled to wiggle to breaking box out from under the pile of crap above it. She had to move carefully otherwise a tidal wave would crush her and the bike.

When it was finally free, Alex decided to go through it at home. She didn't have to do it here and really didn't want to considering she'd likely break down when she did. Instead, she leaned into her car, popped the trunk and put the box within before locking up the storage unit again and heading home.

If there was money inside, she didn't care. If there was anything of monetary value within the unit Alex didn't care in the least. The things that held the most value with her were the memories, the things of times passed, of happier and better times than the ones she was going through and she'd rather have all of that then a single dollar from the man. Let the porn star keep the cash, she was good with pictures.

Despite being a bit apprehensive about what may lie within the cardboard confines of the box, Alex wasn't going to step away. As much as memories of Opie hurt, she was happier to have ever known him or been with him than she was upset he was gone. Far happier.


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter 40

Alex chewed on her thumbnail as she stared at the cardboard box. She was bouncing her knee, staring at the piece resting on her coffee table. She'd been wondering whether or not opening it was a good idea. As bad as Alex wanted to see what was inside, the curiosity overwhelming, the fear of seeing him again and their happier times enough to break open old wounds.

Finally, after nearly fifteen minutes of thinking and giving herself a headache, Alex moved forward and quickly flipped open the flaps to see what lay within. She pulled out small envelopes, manila envelopes and binders with papers hanging from the edges. Alex opened the binder seeing little more than random notes, receipts and other things that didn't matter. This must be 'the other shit' the label indicated. Wanting nothing to do with it, Alex gently set it back inside the box and grabbed an envelope.

The first was a few things that made her smile, drawings from Elle and Kenny when they were littler. It was adorable. Donna was the sentimental one, the one that hung the pictures and took so many of them. Not Opie. Opie would let her do whatever she wanted and was glad in the end, but never put the effort forward. He'd barely pose for pictures in the first place.

After Donna died, it wouldn't have surprised Alex if Opie put a lot of the things that reminded him of her away, or of the time she was alive like their kids drawings. Then again, he could have kept them around until he married Lyla. Honestly Alex wouldn't know. Chances were that's why all of this stuff was in the storage unit, Opie not wanting to make Lyla uncomfortable.

Setting it aside, Alex grabbed another envelope. This one she could feel the pictures inside. Before opening it, she pushed everything on the coffee table to the side enough she could dump out the envelope's contents. Pictures spilled out from within ranging in color, age and size.

Some of the ones that were already flipped over were family pictures, ones of Opie, Donna, Elle and Kenny together, parties and so forth. She smiled again, but felt the inevitable twinge of pain at seeing the smiling man with the beard. Slowly, she moved through and flipped all of them upright, nearly four dozen or more pictures splayed across her coffee table by the time she was done.

There were pictures that had obvious wear and tear, some newer than that. There were pictures of her in the mix as well which surprised her. Amidst the mass amount of family pictures, Alex started to notices ones of her, Jax, the Club, and even Tara. They were all younger of course, back when things were a bit happier than they had become.

Alex's eyes found one in particular that made her smile. She reached for it, unable to fight the tears and grin it produced. It was the three kids of the Original Nine, standing beside each other with their dads behind them. JT stood with a hand on Jax's shoulder, smiling proudly through his jet black beard. Alex was in the middle with her own father, the man with both hands on her shoulders while Opie and Piney stood on the other side. Everyone was so much younger in the photo, the picture taken over fifteen years ago.

She remembered when too. Her mom had thrown a birthday party along with Gemma's help for Alex when she turned thirteen. She was a 'teenager' now, officially growing up and her mom wanted one last picture of her little girl. It was one of the few times the woman wasn't heavily medicated and being as sentimental as Gemma and Alex's mother were, they made the guys get in it too. When the dads teased and made fun, the matriarch forced them in as well just because she could. Hence the picture no one remembered.

Alex set it aside, gently resting it on the couch cushion beside her. She planned on putting it in the only 'photo album' she owned. In reality it was little more than a small leather bound journal, but she turned it into a scrapbook of sorts. It was the one possession she'd never leave behind because it held the best moments of her life.

Looking through them again, Alex noticed another of the kids, Tara included and hanging on Jax, Donna with Opie. This was their senior year of high school. Alex was dressed in her cap and gown, and only Alex. Opie and Jax both dropped out their senior years, eventually getting their GEDs, but dropping out to leave her to graduate alone.

As she looked through the pictures, settling on a few she wanted to keep, Alex knew she had cried once or twice. It was unavoidable. She was confronted with a better time staring back at her, frozen forever in a few small squares of glossy paper. When the ones she wanted were set aside, Alex put the rest away and took the box into her hands, setting it in her hallway closet for the time being.

With a detour to the kitchen for some tape, Alex grabbed her small leather book from the entertainment center and took her spot on the couch again. She flipped through the pages, one after another to see her family and friends looking back at her and felt her stomach turn. She couldn't help it. Seeing them smiling, the fun they used to have and knowing that half of them were gone now was a lot to take. Her father was dead. Piney, gone. Donna, gone. JT, gone. Her mother, gone. And Opie… Everyone was gone. Maybe Clay wasn't the poison. Maybe it was SAMCRO?

The sobering thought was something Alex had never truly considered before. Sure she may have blamed the Club for a few things here and there, hard not to sometimes, but in the end wasn't it really SAMCRO that killed everything? SAMCRO took her family in and then killed them. SAMCRO made Clay what he was and he in turned killed others. Maybe it was Marrow that was the destroyer of her life. Maybe it was the Club.

Alex's right hand slowly found its way to her stomach and began to gently stroke the nonexistent bump. Her brows pulled together tightly as she thought further about everything. If she had a chance to save herself and her potential family, perhaps Charming wasn't someplace she needed to be anymore…

~~~~!~~~~

Alex walked through the halls towards Tara's office. The young doctor was supposed to be in the middle of consulting someone… or something. Truly she had no idea what the woman was doing because she didn't know what the hell Tara's bosses were letting her do.

The two had been neglecting their lunches for obvious reasons. Alex hadn't been up to moving the passed week and a half, almost two, for said reasons. She couldn't make herself do the simplest of things, let alone get up and actually go out to eat. So they were making up for the time lost now and Alex did have other motives to see her friend.

Sitting in the young woman's office, Alex was busying herself on Tara's computer. She wasn't doing anything inappropriate or bothering to search through any files, only searching the internet for something useful. Tara walked through the open doors about twenty minutes later. She smiled crookedly at her friend.

"Make yourself at home." She teased lightly, approaching her desk with a file in her good hand.

"Just looking while I wait." Alex replied, going through and exiting the windows she'd opened before looking at Tara. "Ready for some food."

"Sure." Tara nodded, catching a brief glance of the subject matter. "Ideas?"

Alex shrugged and stood.

"Diner's fine. Ready?"

"Yeah." She said, grabbing her purse. "Let's go."

Alex nodded and followed the doctor out of the office and soon the hospital, both women silently agreeing to take Tara's car. She preferred driving and Alex didn't car either way as they made their way towards the diner in the middle of town. It wasn't long before they were sitting at their old booth, ordering drinks and finding something 'non-sensitive' to talk about.

"There's something I kind of want to run by you," Alex finally said, lazily stirring her ice tea with a straw. "Or some advice."

"Sure." Tara said, taking a sip of her coffee.

She already had an idea of what Alex was leaning towards. After all, she caught sight of what the young woman was searching. Alex hesitantly looked up to the woman across from her.

"If something ever happened to Jax," she began, feeling her throat tighten at the thought. "God forbid," she added, not willing to tempt any God that might be listening. "Would you leave Charming?"

"In a heartbeat." Tara offered without hesitation.

"Really?" she asked, a bit surprised by the fast answer.

Tara nodded.

"You think I'd keep the boys around this without Jax? He's the only reason we're here."

"What about Gemma?"

Tara scoffed and shook her head.

"_Nothing_ would keep me from making sure my boys were safe. Not even her." She replied sternly before her expression softened. "You're thinking about leaving aren't you?"

Alex's eyes had traveled down to her glass again while Tara spoke. She found herself nodding a silent agreement. Alex didn't feel like she had to lie, least of all to Tara.

"Yeah," she sighed, finally speaking. "I am."

Tara had seen the real-estate websites Alex was closing when she walked in. They weren't houses, but apartments. Page after page that was being closed were apartments in another city though Tara hadn't seen which. For all she knew, Alex was thinking about moving to Maine on the other side of the country. In the end, maybe that wasn't a bad idea.

"Where?"

Alex glanced up, hearing the slight worry and sadness in Tara's word, that one single word.

"I'm not really sure. San Francisco maybe."

Tara couldn't stop herself when she raised a brow.

"Really? Why?"

"I don't really know." She shrugged. "Pretty. Big. No one knows me there. Its close enough the kids and you guys can still visit."

Tara listened, hearing decent reasons why she wanted to leave, but it still seemed so far away. The thought of Alex leaving sucked. She was the only other person aside from Jax Tara knew she could actually trust. Within the last few months, ever since Alex came back, they'd slipped back into their tight knit friendship and Tara knew she could trust her with anything.

"Wow. You've already put a lot of thought into this haven't you?"

"A bit."

"When'd you decide to move?"

Alex leaned back and sighed, running her fingers through her hair contemplatively.

"Yesterday when I got a letter from Opie."

Tara's eyes went wide.

"How?"

"I went by to see Lyla."

"Oh…" she mumbled. "That couldn't have gone well."

"Not really, but it didn't matter. I just wanted her to know I plan to stay in touch with the kids." She said. Tara nodded her understanding. She had to admit she was a little proud of Alex for that fact. At least she didn't think of them like a burden like Lyla seemed to. That was good. "When I left Mary gave me a letter Rossen had given her from Ope. There was a key to a storage unit inside that had a bunch of his old stuff locked in it. Somewhere between the sonogram and looking at old pictures I decided I don't want to be here without him anymore."

Tara smiled weakly at the romantic thought, but it was bittersweet, like everything else with Alex these days.

"At least it's kind of close." Tara offered after a moment.

Alex forced her own smile and nodded her agreement.

"You guys going to come and visit?"

"Of course. I can use a vacation from here every once and a while too."

The smiles turned genuine as they shared a laugh. There was something about Charming that was both rejuvenating and exhausting at the same time.

As they sat there, finally relaxing a bit, their food arrived. Tara immediately cocked a brow at Alex as she all but dove head first into her lunch. Tara was surprised at Alex. She could have been pregnant hungry or depressed hungry. Either way she was devouring her food.

"So, you going to tell the guys?" she asked, spreading mustard on her burger's bun.

"Yeah. I don't have much of a choice. Guys would kill me if I didn't."

"When are you planning on leaving any way?" Tara asked after a shared grin.

"Uh…" Alex hesitated to answer and Tara noticed. She looked up at her friend messing with the French fries on her plate. "I have movers coming… tomorrow."

Tara didn't move for a moment, long enough for Alex to notice and look up at her. There was an odd mix of shock and hurt touching the young woman's face. It made Alex feel a bit bad. She knew Tara hadn't been expecting an answer like that.

"How? I thought you just started looking today?" Tara asked, trying to hide her disbelief.

"I uh… I started looking yesterday… after I went to the storage building. I was just checking to see if I could find anything else today."

"But, there's deposits and leases and… tomorrow?"

The short time frame was almost unbelievable. Moving into a city that large and that far away and… tomorrow?

"Yeah." Alex answered sheepishly.

"Wow." Tara mumbled. As shocked as she was, part of her expected it. There was little Alex wanted to do that didn't happen almost immediately. If she wanted something, she'd get it as soon as she could. Any other time it was an almost admirable trait, but not this time. "You've been busy."

Alex smiled sadly and nodded.

"Yeah, I guess. I just wanted to get out of here before anyone else I care about…" Alex paused. She couldn't even force herself to say 'dies'. Losing Opie was still too fresh. "I'm heading over to TM after this to tell the guys."

Tara was slowly nodding, trying to come to terms with Alex leaving. She was happy for her, proud almost that she was going to get out and raise her kid without the Club tarnishing it, but she was jealous too. She wasn't going to be able to do it, not with Jax being the President now, and couldn't fight the green eyed monster. Then again, it took Opie passing away for Alex to get both the courage and reason to leave Charming so maybe it wasn't a bad thing. Tara didn't want to have to go through the same trauma to leave.

The two young women remained at the diner for a while, eating their food and trying to think and talk about something other than what was going to happen the following day. It was a little difficult, but they managed before heading back to the hospital.

As Alex said she would, she headed to Teller-Marrow to see the rest of the Club. When she arrived, Bobby was walking from the garage towards the bar. He noticed her pull into a parking spot and get out, smiling to the young woman.

"Hey honey. How's it going?" he asked, diverging from his path enough to greet her with a hug.

"Good." She answered with a smile. She was getting better at lying about her mental status when people were around. "The guys here?"

"For now." He said, putting an arm around her shoulder and walking with her towards the Clubhouse. "Heading out soon."

"Good. I need to talk to you guys."

His smile faded gently.

"Something wrong?"

"Not really."

He didn't believe her and she could tell. In truth, it wasn't necessarily _bad_ news she had to deliver, just unpleasant to some.

Bobby nodded slowly and walked with the young woman inside, the two greeted with more than half the Club sitting around talking. She was greeted, the men saying their hellos and so forth to her, hugs and such, before they began to ask what she was up to. That's when her smile faded. Like Bobby, they knew something wasn't right.

"I kind of needed to talk to you guys." She finally said, drawing any lingering attention to her in the mostly vacant bar.

"Somethin' wrong darlin'?" Chibs asked seriously.

"Wrong? Not really. But uh, I'm leaving. Charming." She said slowly. "I'm moving to San Francisco."

"When?" Tig asked.

She looked into their expectant and sad faces, seeing the same look she got the last time she told them she was moving. True they weren't too upset by it because she was staying close, but with everything that had happened, it seemed more permanent and depressing this time. Then again, not a single soul in the room could object to it, they all knew the reasons behind it and she knew they'd understand.

"Tomorrow." She answered sheepishly.

"So soon?" Juice asked.

She nodded, biting her bottom lip.

"Wh…" he stopped himself immediately.

The young man was about to ask something invariably stupid, but it was a natural question to ask. He wanted to know why, most of them did, but knew in the end without voicing the question. They all knew why she was leaving, but Alex felt they needed to know more. They were her family, in the end, and they deserved to know the _real_ reason why she was leaving.

Alex looked to Juice and noticed him staring back a bit embarrassed he almost asked her why. She knew that if they hadn't been there to see her react to seeing Opie, they'd heard about it. But Opie wasn't the only reason. At this point he was only about a third of the reason why she was leaving.

"I'm pregnant." Alex said finally after a few steadying breaths.

This time the shock was purer than before, and a bit more confused. She noticed them glancing from one to the other as they thought about what that might mean, the same stunned expressions and silent conversations she assumed would happen.

"Seriously?" Tig asked first.

"Yeah." She nodded. "Six weeks."

No one moved for a moment before Chibs stood. He pushed his chair back and approached the young woman with a light smile touching his lips. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and hugged her tightly.

"Congratulations sweetheart." He told her quietly, kissing her cheek.

His words were heavy and she knew why. He was as conflicted as she was about it. To her mild surprise, no one asked who the father was. Everyone silently knew it was Opie, so they didn't bother questioning it. Slowly, the others took the man's lead and hugged the young woman, offering up their congrats for her pregnancy.

"So, anyone know where Jax is?" she asked, hugging Juice as he stepped away.

Before anyone answered, her eyes traveled to the doorway to the Chapel. The blonde man was leaning against the entryway, smoking a cigarette with a sideways grin touching his lips. It was sad, but forced her to do the same.

"You want an escort?" he asked smugly.

Alex raised a brow, tilting her head slightly to the side.

"You offering Teller?"

Jax smiled a bit wider, shoving himself up from the doorframe and looked out into the room.

"What do you say boys? You wanna give Alex an escort to the City by the Bay?"

"Aye!"

A riotous agreement was called loudly that made her blush and bury her face in her hands. She could picture it now, a row of bikes woven between her car and a moving truck as they drove through San Francisco. The image was both endearing and ridiculous. She loved them more than she could say and it was for reasons like this.


	41. Chapter 41

**Can't... stop... updating. Mrah! lol. Enjoy yet another chapter today!**

Chapter 41

Alex smiled at the procession of bikes and bikers that followed her and the moving truck down the highways. She was safe within her car listening to music with Jax behind one side of her car and Bobby on the other as the rest of the guys surrounding the moving truck. Poor movers. They weren't sure what to think when nearly a dozen bikers in black showed up at the house and told them, not asked, told them they were going along for the ride.

At one point, Jax asked why she wasn't using the guys, electing Phil mostly given his size and newness to the Club, to move her things. She told him it was because this way, if something broke, she could sue if she wanted. The other way she could do little more than bitch and moan about it. Besides, it wasn't like anyone actually liked packing things, even if they were their own.

The strange group moved into the city, winding through the one way streets and received their own glances and curious stares from the people they passed. For the most part the guys loved it. They always did. There was something about the intrigued looks of almost fear they received that made SAMCRO almost giddy. Alex used to think it was cute. Well, she still kind of did.

They began to near the apartment complex, but that wasn't something any of them realized. The building Alex was moving into was above a bar and grill. It was an older styled building, but nice and up kept with the fire escapes darting across the front of the restaurant below. Honestly, if Alex hadn't told them the name of the place, or gone to the back where the food was dropped in the loading bay, they wouldn't have known. The rent was ridiculous though, even Alex knew it, but she just had a hard time caring at the moment. It'd be temporary until she could find a house to raise her child. Jesus… she was having a kid.

Alex pulled up into a parking spot she was assigned on the other side of the loading bay, away from the trucks and under sufficient light. It wasn't that it was a bad neighborhood, but she was grateful for it. Alex leapt out of her car and went to talk to the guy who owned the place downstairs. He was also the one who owned the whole building and was renting her the apartment above.

The guys remained outside, looking around and noticing the giant bridge looming not too far away. It was obvious which bridge, but seeing it this close without being on it was impressive. Jax and a few of the others were admiring it while the rest looked around at the people they saw in the streets. Not too long after, Alex emerged with some paperwork and keys in her hands, moving straight for the movers. She told the driver to follow her so she could show them where to put her things.

"Got everything darlin'?" Jax asked, taking off his helmet as she approached.

"Yeah." She smiled to him kindly. "I think I can take it from here."

"Maybe we should head up with you. Make sure there's no boogeyman in the closet."

She shook her head at the stupidity but the smile remained.

"Sure. Why not?" she asked sarcastically.

"Hey guys!" Jax chimed, turning to see the others. "You guys can head back or take a seat in the bar."

There were a few whoops and hollers of happiness at the prospect of a bar, most of them electing to go in there and wait for their President instead of heading back. Jax on the other hand walked up with Alex to her apartment on the top floor, the third of apartments but the fourth on the building. So far it was unimpressive, no different then any other building.

Alex opened the door to her place and smiled at what she saw within. It was small, nothing too special, but it was hers and it'd work for now. There were wide windows that stretched across the wall facing the street, not an inspiring view but it let in plenty of light and gave her a place to put plants. The kitchen was to their immediate right and a door to her bedroom on the left. Alex walked over and opened the door to her bedroom, relieved when she noticed a window that faced the back of the building and gave her a view, albeit small, of the bridge. Given the building was smashed between two others she liked it.

"Not bad." Jax finally said, noticing the bathroom entrance within her bedroom. "Kind of small though. What's your rent?"

"Too much." Alex replied with a smile as she turned to him. "But it'll work for now."

"Least it's not too far away." He sighed, his hands in his pockets as he moved leisurely through the living room, all fifteen by twenty feet of it. It'd be an impressive size if part of it wasn't technically a dining room too. "Tara said you want us to visit."

"Why not? Nice change from Charming. The boys could see the ocean."

He chuckled lightly, moving closer to her. Jax stood upright, staring down at the young woman whose forehead came to his nose, still smiling arrogantly. Alex let her head fall back sarcastically to look up at the man, the height difference nowhere near as intense as it was between her and Opie.

Alex reached forward enough to hook her index fingers into his cut's pockets. Jax chuckled again and stepped forward, draping his arms lazily over her shoulders and hugged her. His smile faded when she couldn't see him anymore. Jax was as happy about her moving this time as he was before. Not much.

"Be careful, okay?" he told her, his voice a bit stern.

Alex's face buried itself into his leather and neck. She nodded when he spoke, her smile gone as well.

"I will." She mumbled into his clothing.

"Love you Alex."

"Love you too Jackie." She sighed, the two slowly pulling back.

Jax could see the sadness in her face and knew it was reflected in his own features.

"You sure you want to do this?" he asked finally.

Alex nodded slowly.

"Yeah." She answered. "I can't be in Charming anymore. Not after all this shit's happened."

"Yeah," he sighed, hugging her again and looking around to try and focus on anything else that wasn't his sister leaving him. "I didn't mean for you to get hurt like that."

Alex's eyes clenched shut at his words, a few tears wanting to break through.

"I know." She whispered.

And she did. As angry as Alex was at Jax for everything that had happened from Piney to Clay to Opie, she knew he never meant for any of it to happen. As much as she wanted to blame him, even hate him, she knew in her heart that Jax wasn't that kind of man. He was honorable and loyal. He never would have let anything happen to Opie if he could have helped it. Her forced new outlook taught her that and reminded her of everything she'd forgotten.

The sound of men trudging up the hall reminded the two they were in the middle of the living room with the movers heading their way. Slowly, the two moved into the living room just as they came in with her couch. Jax kept an arm draped over Alex's shoulders.

"You didn't tell mom did you?" he finally asked.

Alex took in a sharp breath and winced. Jax looked down at her and saw the expression, smiling to himself.

"No, not yet." She replied finally, looking up to the man. "She going to be pissed?"

"What do you think?"

Alex rolled her eyes at his teasing.

"I would have said something if I knew where she was half the time."

"Yeah," Jax sighed, watching the movers coming in with boxes this time and setting them in the living room against a wall. "I don't know what's wrong with her anymore."

The two shared a silent understanding. Ever since Clay fucked up another life, no one knew what was happening with the matriarch. Maybe it shouldn't have been too surprising. Alex had been there before after all.

As one mover came in again with a dolly filled with boxes, a man entered behind him. Chibs looked around the small apartment, nodding to himself as he 'inspected' her new home. It was obvious he followed the movers to find it.

"What do you think?" she asked with man with a smile.

Chibs glanced to her and joined the two in the kitchen to be out of the way.

"Eh." He shrugged.

"Shut up." Alex whined causing both men to smile wide.

Chibs shifted to her other side and leaned against the countertop with them as the four burley men continued to bring in box after box.

"So ya gonna share a drink wit' us girly?"

"Yeah," Alex said, wrapping her arm over the man's shoulder. The angle was odd but neither cared. "Soon as these guys are done moving this shit in, I'll buy you guys a round."

"Tha's what I like hearin'." He grinned.

"Well, the guys I know. Who the hell are those other three?"

"Nomads." Jax answered, remembering Alex hadn't been around when they gained members. "Patched 'em in a few days ago."

"You trust them?" she asked, looking from one man to the other.

"They're brothers." Chibs told her simply.

"Okay."

That was all that needed to be said on the matter. Someone trusted them enough to patch the guys in in the first place, so someone trusted them. In the Sons MC, the fact that you were patched in garnered immediate trust. It was stupid but honorable in many ways too. For the most part no one had been proven wrong. Yet.

Within the hour, all of Alex's things were inside her apartment. She tipped the movers generously given they had to go up stairs with her furniture and she didn't have an elevator within the building that went as high as her floor. With Jax and Chibs, she locked up her place, content to unpack later, and joined the others in the bar below.

And she had fun. For the first time in a long time, Alex had fun. The air around her had instantly lifted, the pain gone despite being surrounded by reminders of the ones she lost and she had fun. Maybe Charming really was the problem.

The group of rowdy bikers and their friend nearly closed the place down. Thankfully no one was stupid enough to get shit faced drunk. It wasn't common but considering this wasn't _their_ bar and nothing in Alex's place was put together, they had the wherewithal to remain mostly sober.

When the time came, Alex walked with them out the back and to their bikes. She began to move through the lines, hugging each of the men she knew and grew up with tightly, receiving kisses on the cheeks and foreheads from them along with kind words and happy wishes. She told them she loved them and she would come to visit. She had to. Tara made her promise and Alex wasn't about to let Lyla think she got off scot-free when it came to Elle and Kenny.

A loud roar of bikes filled the area as everyone started their engines. Alex smiled, stepping back from them. Jax looked to the young woman, winked and smiled warmly to her before leading the way. One by one the long line of bikes followed suit and they were gone. Alex listened to their engines before the sound of the motorcycles had disappeared all together, her smile along with it. Eventually, she turned to make her way back inside and found her new landlord standing in the loading bay doors. She hesitated. He was giving her a look that made her think he needed to speak with her.

"Is something wrong Mr. Fields?" she asked, approaching the door apprehensively.

"Friends of yours?" he asked. Despite their being no tone to his voice, the words weren't ones she liked hearing. They were condescending no matter how they were spoken.

"Yes sir." She nodded, stopping in front of him.

"Are they a gang?"

"They're a motorcycle club." She corrected. It became common practice ever since her youth to refer to SAMCRO as a club, not a gang. They were taught young. "I grew up with half those guys."

He nodded, a slow smile crossing his aged and white bearded face. It was intriguing.

"I've met the Sons before."

That wasn't something Alex expected to hear and knew her face reflected her utter shock. The old man chuckled deeply from within his gut.

"You don't look like a biker to me." She said. And he didn't, not really, aside from the beard. Then again he was wearing long sleeves so it's not like she would have been able to see ink.

"You're not the only one that came from somewhere else." He told her with a chuckle.

Together, the two began to walk back through the kitchen and into the bar, Alex ready to pay her bill. She was reaching for her wallet, not paying attention while Fields eyed her. When she finally found the cash, Alex noticed the old man watching her. It made her nervous. She handed him the cash apprehensively.

"You got a job yet?" he asked out of nowhere.

Alex cocked a brow and shook her head.

"Just got here." She replied.

He chuckled to himself again and nodded, putting the cash in his register.

"Well, you know how to tend bar?"

She shook her head.

"Not really. I mean, I can do it, but something tells me I don't know how to make half the drinks people would order in a place like this."

"Yeah, probably not. People keep making up shit." He sighed heavily. "But I can use another bartender. Guys tend to spend more money when they're flirting with a pretty young woman."

"Uh… thanks?" she said, unsure of how she was supposed to take the compliment. "But you'd only get that for about another month or so."

"Why's that? Planning on turning forty in the next month?"

"I'm pregnant. People might get put off their liquor when their bartender has a baby bump."

He seemed surprised by her answer, his eyes instinctively shooting to her stomach and noticing nothing. Eventually he shrugged one shoulder.

"Well, jobs yours if you want it. I can use another bartender or waitress. I haven't had much luck finding one that lasts lately."

Alex found herself raising her brow again. In her world someone who doesn't last means they've died. Then again, in a city like this, maybe it just meant people came and went as they deemed necessary.

"Uh… well sure. I guess. I've just got to unpack everything."

"Sure. How bout you come down around four tomorrow?" he offered. "Candace will be here. She's my manager. She can show you the ropes and you can let me know if you're interested."

"Yeah. Okay. No problem."

He nodded to her and with a wave; Alex went upstairs to her place. She wasn't sure what to think about the random job offer. It was odd to say the least, your landlord suddenly offering you a job, but whatever. It'd give her something to do and as uncomfortable as she may have been with it, he didn't give off a 'creeper' vibe. Given all of the horrible kinds of people Alex had been exposed to throughout her life, Alex had a pretty good radar. For the most part anyway…

~~!~~

For the last hour, Alex found herself sitting on her unmade bed unpacking one box after another. It was getting late, nearly one in the morning, but she was still unpacking things. The movers had put her bed together, but Alex hadn't bothered unpacking her sheets or other bedding yet. The last time she unpacked bedding, Opie had been the one helping her, so she wasn't enthusiastic about doing it on her own this time. It was stupid that everything reminded her of the man, but she had known him all of her life. It was hard for him not to be in everything.

She sat on her bare bed with a box of random things. There were trinkets and so forth, but she found herself flipping through her photo album. Maybe it wasn't something she should be doing, but she didn't care. She'd rather have the memories and be hurt by them then have nothing.

The final picture in the album was the one Jax had taken while Opie and Alex weren't looking. It was the latest picture of the two anyway, the most recent and as sad as that fact was, she adored it. Alex was more than capable of seeing passed her injuries and staring only at the man behind her. She had emailed herself the picture on her smart phone and saved it to a memory card she was able to get the print off of. It was a wonderful thing in her mind, being able to take a couple of steps to have an actual, tangible photograph printed from a picture taken on a phone.

With a heavy sigh, Alex closed the book and set it on her nightstand beside her bed before standing up and moving. Her legs were numb from sitting cross legged for so long, but she wasn't bothered. Instead, Alex went about moving the things from off her bed and began to look for her blankets. She was too tired to make the bed but she could easily take out her pillows and her comforter to sleep for the night.

When she located her things, Alex threw them unceremoniously onto her bed and soon joined them. She stared at her closed album, silently thinking she should buy a few frames for the pictures within that were her favorite, before exhaustion took hold and she slipped into her sleep.

This was the first time since Opie left that Alex had slept in her bed. Up until then she'd resided on the couch and was fine with it. At least there she didn't have the large expanse of space behind her. His disappearance was never so prominent then it was at that moment.


	42. Chapter 42

**Bam! I've finished the story thus far and I can't help but update even more. I want you guys to read the end of it so bad! There's 45 chapters so you guys are coming up on the end. I hope you enjoy it!**

Chapter 42

The sounds of the city were what woke her that morning. It was unnatural to her. Alex had been so used to the sounds of random, sparse cars that she wasn't prepared for the blaring horns and people in the streets below. She groaned awake, rolling over and noticing brilliant sunlight flooding her room. She'd forgotten the curtains too.

With another groan, she grabbed her pillow and rolled onto her back, burying her face inside the plush fabric. She didn't want to be awake, not having retained much sleep through the night, but she didn't have a choice. Alex had to get up and continue unpacking before heading downstairs for her possible job interview. Honestly, she wasn't looking forward to doing any of it. This 'adult life' crap was really cutting into her 'doing nothing' time.

Eventually Alex managed to push herself up and went to unpack her things. She started in the kitchen, putting pots, pans, plates and the like away, finding places for everything small. She continued onto the living room and repeated the process. That's all unpacking was. A process. It was a pain in the ass but of putting her crap _in_ a box versus pulling it out, she'd rather take it out.

As the day progressed and mid-afternoon crept closer, Alex's stomach began to growl and she realized she had absolutely no food in the house. Why would she? She'd only gotten there the night before. She growled to herself and dressed, grabbing her purse and phone, making sure she had the GPS on it pulled up for the new city. Alex didn't feel like getting lost, knowing she was the kind of person that would get too pissed off to ask nicely for directions.

The sun was high in the sky, the last remnants of the morning fog fading into the bay. San Francisco was truly beautiful in its own way. True as much as she hated Charming at times, it was her birthplace so it would always hold a special place in her heart, but this city was beautiful.

As Alex walked along the streets, content to stroll for a moment since the market was at the end of the street on the corner and within eye sight, eyes fell to her. They were hidden within an SUV parked across the street, concealed by the other parked vehicles that surrounded it. The man inside watched the dark haired young woman as she looked in one window after another; completely unaware she was being watched.

The man reached for his cell phone and dialed the number given. He waited patiently as it rang, his keen eyes still focused on only Alex.

"_Hello?"_ a deeply accented and gravely voice greeted.

"I've found the girl." The stranger replied, shifting in his seat to get a better view when Alex disappeared slightly between some bystanders.

"_Where?"_ the other man asked.

"San Francisco." He said. "She's living in an apartment on Steuart Street."

"_So that's where Teller went…" _he said to himself. _"Keep an eye on her."_

"Yes sir. Is she a threat?"

There was a pause. The man on the other end of the line had to think about it for a moment. He considered her association with the Club, who she knew and how long she'd known them. It was unlikely she didn't know anything, but the extent of that knowledge was what was in question.

"_Not yet."_ He finally said. _"Keep her in sight. Observe only."_

"Yes sir." He answered, hanging up the phone as Alex walked into the corner market.

With her gone from his line of sight, the man moved out of the SUV and across the street to find her. His job was to watch her, so that's what he was going to do.

Alex was within the small grocery store. From the looks of it they catered more towards local foods and organic than anything. Tara would loooove this. She was on Alex's ass about eating nothing but healthy food so the baby would grow up strong. Did she not realize _who_ the baby's father was? There was no way this child wasn't going to be big and strong. Opie was a giant.

She wove through the aisles with her tiny cart made to fit the smaller store picking one thing off the shelf after another. She was suddenly craving something fried, or filled with fatty goodness, just to escape all of the good stuff she was surrounded by. But Alex resisted the urge and continued on, ignorant to the eyes on her.

Within about an hour, Alex had everything she needed and paid for her food. It sucked, buying everything new, but she didn't have a choice. Spices and so forth she brought with her but everything cold she gave to Jax and Tara and had to buy anew. With her groceries in hand, for the most part, Alex exited the small shop and made her way towards her car parked in the parking garage at the end of the block. Next time she'd have to park closer.

The man in the SUV exited behind her by a few people and made his way to his car. He slipped back in the same moment Alex emerged from the parking garage in her noticeable vehicle and started towards home. The man wove through traffic behind her and followed as close as he could. He had been told when getting this job that these people were already paranoid and to keep his distance. That was the main point driven into his mind. Keep distance and maintain sight at all times. She was too valuable or dangerous to let go of just yet.

Soon enough, Alex found her way home and gathered her things before heading upstairs, still unaware she was ever being followed. With arms full of groceries, the young woman struggled with her door but opened it soon enough and tossed everything onto her kitchen floor. She opened up her fridge to start unloading things and noticed it wasn't as empty as she thought it was. There, resting on the middle shelf all by its lonesome, was a bottle of Scotch with a note leaned against it.

Alex found herself smiling despite silently cursing whoever put it there. It's not like she was able to drink it. Reaching forward, Alex snatched the note that was little more than a message written on the back of a receipt and read it. It was from Chibs, the handwriting at least, but the bottle was from everyone. It was a housewarming present and given she couldn't drink until the baby was born, a 'birth' present too. The thought was sweet in the end and that was all that mattered.

Knowing better than to keep a good Scotch like this cold Alex pulled it out and set it on top of the refrigerator. She knew they'd only placed it there to make it a surprise. She wondered briefly where it had come from before deciding it didn't matter and went about unloading her groceries.

~~~!~~~

Four o'clock came around soon enough and Alex found herself making her way towards the restaurant downstairs. There were people everywhere, not a large crowd, but it wasn't a large place. Most of the tables were taken by people eating, talking and having a good time. Alex looked around, seeing if she could spot anyone and decided to ask the current bartender. She wove through the crowd and found the young man hanging glasses he'd recently washed.

"Uh, hi." She said, a little louder than normal to be heard above the crowd.

The young man turned and saw her standing against the bar, speaking to him. He smiled warmly, setting the grey 'busboy' tub down with the few remaining glasses within.

"What can I get for you?" he asked kindly.

"I'm looking for Candace."

The young man nodded and checked the clock above the mirror behind him noting the time.

"You must be that chick renting the place upstairs." He said, turning back to her.

"Alex." She nodded slowly.

"I'm Toby." He greeted, offering a hand.

Alex nodded and shook the appendage. People being polite like him were foreign, not entirely, but still odd. She was used to everyone knowing her name beforehand. Hazard of living in a small town all your life.

"Nice to meet you." He said. "Candace is in the back. Just walk through that door there," he pointed. "And it's the second door on your left."

Alex nodded, thanked the young man and walked off to find the other woman. She walked apprehensively through the door, making sure she wouldn't hit anyone on the other side, and found the second door. She knocked, noting the _Employees Only_ sign.

"_Come in!"_ a woman called from the other side.

Alex pushed the door open and found a middle aged woman sitting at a desk writing. It didn't look like the office belonged to any one person in particular, like it was more the administrative room, so it was little more than a cheap stock desk and filing cabinets. The woman at the desk with mousy brown hair looked up and smiled kindly.

"Hi. Can I help you?"

"Yeah, uh, I'm Alex Walker. Mr. Fields told me to come and talk to you today." She said skeptically.

"Oh, right. You're the new bartender."

"Not really. I'm still not entirely certain what happened last night and how I got suckered into this."

Candace laughed warmly and motioned for Alex to sit across from her.

"Well, do you _want_ to be a bartender?"

"I can I guess." Alex shrugged. "But Like I told Mr. Fields, I don't know any mixed drinks."

"Well those are easy enough to remember. Not many people here ask for anything too off the wall. It's pretty basic." She explained before noticing Alex's lack of enthusiasm. "Unless you don't want the job?"

"I'm not really sure how I got offered it in the first place." She said honestly. "I was paying him for my tab and suddenly got offered a job."

She smiled again.

"Yeah, Tom is pretty forward sometimes. He's a nice guy, but he gets people to say yes before he asks the question, you know?"

Alex nodded slowly. That was kind of what happened the night before.

"He said something about not keeping bartenders or something?" she asked, wondering if there was a reason why the job was open to walk-ins.

"Yeah." Candace sighed. "A lot of the women we get in here either find another job or just quit. It happens a lot, but that's just how it goes in a place like this."

"Like where?"

"San Francisco." She smiled again. "We're kind of a laid back city, but not. It's a little hard to explain to someone that just got here."

Alex nodded slowly, uncertain of what else she should do.

"We've got the population to be a major city, but the people here are a little more laid back for the most part so it's not too uncommon for some to bounce around from job to job. Being a waitress or bartender is that kind of occupation, the one people try and then quit if they don't like it." She explained. "Interested?"

Alex laughed lightly. She couldn't help it. The whole situation was strange, but oddly enough she was fine with it.

"I guess." Alex smiled. "I'm not going to get kicked out of my place if I do a shitty job am I?"

"I doubt it." Candace smiled. "So, when do you want to start?"

"Oh uh… I'm still unpacking. I just moved here last night."

"Wow. He did get you fast."

Alex nodded.

"Yeah. There's another thing too." She said almost sheepishly. "I can't work here all that long."

"Why not?"

"I'm pregnant." Alex said, still not used to saying the words out loud no matter how many times she did. Candace seemed a little surprised. "I don't think people are going to feel too comfortable having a pregnant chick serving their alcohol when my gut sticks out a few feet."

"And there's the issue of getting between tables." Candace added with a smile causing Alex to do the same. "It's fine. You probably won't start showing for a while. How far along are you?"

"A little over six weeks."

"Yeah. You have a little while before clothes don't hide it."

"I doubt it. You didn't know the father." Alex said under her breath.

Candace noticed the passed tense and asked before she could stop herself.

"He didn't come with you?"

Alex twitched and looked down. Candace seemed to know immediately that something bad had happened. She didn't know the young woman at all and was asking something painful and personal.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked." She said quickly.

"No, it's fine." Alex lied through her teeth, forcing a smile when she looked back up at the woman. "He was a good man."

She didn't know why she offered that bit of information, but Alex felt the need to tell Candace that Opie was a good man. Candace smiled as kindly as she could and nodded.

"Well, how about you stop by Monday? That'll give you about four days to unpack and get everything squared away and we can see about training you. How does that work out?"

"Fine. Yeah, that's fine. How uh… I feel kind of stupid for asking, but how much will I get paid?"

Candace laughed lightly. That was generally something someone asked first in the conversation.

"Minimum wage plus tips. It's pretty good on busy nights." Candace said. "Go ahead and come down here around three thirty on Monday. It'll be near the end of my shift, but I'll be able to show you around and get you started."

"Yeah, sure." Alex nodded and stood. She didn't know why, but she leaned forward with an offered hand. Candace smiled and mimicked the young woman's actions. "Thanks."

"No problem." Candace smiled, shaking Alex's offered hand before sitting. "It was nice meeting you."

"Yeah. You too. I'll see you Monday."

Candace nodded and with that Alex left, making her way back upstairs to her home. It was strange how everything seemed to be coming together as quickly as it was. She wasn't sure how to take it other than going with the flow of things.

After all, what's the worst that could happen?

Without her knowledge, the worst had followed her into the bar and was waiting in the corner of the restaurant watching her. The worst was keeping his eyes on her like he was told until he was told to act. The worst had already found her.


	43. Chapter 43

**I know the timeline is a little off, but I needed to alter it a bit to fit my story thus far. Considering how ambiguous the time frame in SOA can be, I figured it wouldn't matter too much. Oh, I think you guys are going to like this one. :)**

Chapter 43

Nearly a week had passed. Alex had accepted the job within the restaurant downstairs and was keeping in touch with everyone in Charming. She talked to Tara nearly every day, letting her know that she was taking her vitamins and eating right. Alex always smiled when she thought of Tar being so over protective, but was never bothered by it. Maybe if it were someone else, but not Tara. She was the only woman within the Club Alex trusted.

The training for the job was easy enough and given Alex was upfront about not keeping the job very long, they didn't bother overloading her with information. It was amazing how laid back these people were and she liked it. It was a big change from the paranoid world of SAMCRO.

As it was, Alex mainly worked at night, not needing to go far to go home, and liking it when the place had calmed down a bit. She would wipe the tables, hand out drinks and so forth. Candace was right when she said people didn't order anything too weird. A group of young women did order Cosmopolitans, something Alex had no idea how to make, but with Toby she managed just fine.

It was currently ten till two in the morning and the bar was coming to a close. Everyone had left for the most part save one man sitting alone in the corner sipping on his drink. Alex stared at the man that had been there for hours ordering the same thing. No on ever came to meet him and he didn't order much in the ways of food. It was odd to say the least, but she didn't know what to do about it. It wasn't her bar. She couldn't kick him out until now.

Alex approached the man in the corner, her rag in her hand ready to wipe the table down. She watched him closely, noticing him sense her when his back tensed. It forced her to hesitate in step before finishing the trek.

"Sir?" she said as politely as she could. The man turned to face her. "We're closing soon. You're going to have to head out."

The stoic Mexican stared at her blankly for a moment. His black eyes, stern face and tight jaw made her nervous for reasons she didn't know. He looked perpetually angry. She tried not to react when the man smiled. It was more unnerving than his stare.

"Of course." He replied in a strong voice before reaching into his pocket. Alex remained where she was as he fished out some money and set it on the table. He scooted out of the booth and towered over her, still wearing the smirk. "Have a good night."

"Yeah." She replied, watching as he turned to walk off. "You too."

The large man with the short black hair and dark skin walked out of the restaurant and left, the door chiming when it closed. She found herself standing there for a moment, still feeling the cold the stranger had forced to touch her neck before snapping to. Shaking the cold away, Alex reached for the glass, her tip and wiped down the table quickly. She didn't know who the Mexican was, but she didn't like him.

~~!~~

The stranger walked into the parking lot and to the two SUVs parked off to the side, nearly hidden in the darkness of the night, their black bodies keeping them out of sight. He walked directly towards the first one, the tinted window slowly sliding down on its electric track.

"She's inside." He told the man with the long black hair sitting in the passenger seat.

"Good." He nodded, his own angry black eyes looking around. "Schedule?"

"She gets off at two." He said, turning to look behind him. The military made them all paranoid. "She'll stay for about a half an hour helping clean up before heading into her apartment on the top floor."

"Access?"

"Not much. There's a stairwell accessible through a back door that leads upstairs. Ordinarily she has trash duty which brings her out the back of the building, but that's uncertain. The best place in the stairwell."

"Okay." He nodded, thinking heavily about the best way to do what needed to be done.

The stranger on the outside of the car glanced in and saw his boss gently running his fingers over his mustache as he thought, the shadows in the dimly lit parking lot forcing the pock marks in his face to see all the deeper, the lines harsher.

"What do you need me to do?" he finally asked.

"Nothing." The leader replied. "I'll go in and speak with her."

"Do you need backup?"

The man shook his head, an evil smirk touching his thin lips.

"No." he answered in his gravely, thick accented voice. "She'll follow me out. I'll get her to the parking lot behind the building. I'll need the cars there."

The other man nodded his understanding.

"Good work Luis." The man inside the vehicle replied, his second in command nodding before heading into the second vehicle to inform the rest of their group what was going to happen.

The aged Mexican man sat within his SUV for a while, thinking about what he was going to do. He had to get Alex to trust him enough to follow him outside. He knew it wasn't going to be easy. Just by her association with SAMCRO, he knew she was likely as paranoid as the rest of them when it came to strangers and if he told her who he was, he was sure to be met with more resistance. The only thing the man could think to do was alter the truth enough to get her outside. She had to get outside. That was part of the deal. Unlike Clay, _some_ members of the Club knew how to make a deal the right way.

~~~!~~~

Inside the restaurant, Alex went around the tables, wiping them quickly before flipping up the chairs. Her side hurt, why she didn't know but it did and all she wanted to do was go home and lay down. It wasn't the work that was getting to her. She welcomed the chance to stay busy. What seemed to be weighing on her was the massive child growing inside her. To her and her doctor's shock, Alex had a bump, ever so slightly, and she wasn't even eight weeks along yet. Then again, when she explained to the Doc that the baby's father was six foot four and weighed two hundred pounds, she didn't seem as surprised as before.

Alex wasn't showing too much, but it was enough. No one else would notice the tiny bump, but she did. She saw it the moment it appeared. To anyone else, Alex looked like she had a lot for lunch, but she knew otherwise. She knew the Winston fetus was probably already four times the size of a normal bean. Well, that was an exaggeration, but it felt like that.

Putting up the last few chairs, Alex gathered her tips and tossed the wiping rag into the dirty clothes bucket in the back where the cooks tossed their aprons before they were sent out to be cleaned. She said her goodnights and farewells, not on the schedule to work for the next two days and headed into the hall towards her stairs.

The young woman's head was down as she counted her tips when she felt the air change. It's a hard feeling to explain if you haven't felt it before, but it let her know there was someone else in the area near her. Sure enough, when Alex looked up she noticed another frighteningly stern Mexican man leaning against the wall. He looked like he was waiting for her, a concept she didn't like nor appreciate.

Alex wasn't racist. She didn't care what color someone's skin was, but when you grow up with the Club and your father was murdered by the Mayans, you began to wonder if every Mexican man that loomed and had a hard look to his face wasn't associated with some other gang. It was a hard thing to get pass when you spend most of your life in the middle of a war between Black, Brown and White. Her childhood was dotted with one retaliation after another, so her trust was low when it came to strangers of any kind.

"You lost?" she asked blankly.

"No." he told her simply. "I came to speak with you, Miss Walker."

Alex took a precautionary step back, her eyes narrowing on the man with his long black hair tied back into a ponytail.

"Do I know you?" she asked him, wishing like hell she'd carried her gun to work.

"We have a mutual friend." He replied, the sentence only a half lie. Alex's understanding didn't deepen. "Jax Teller."

Alex's eyes went wide this time.

"Is something wrong? What happened?" she asked angrily, wanting to know why he was here about Jax. For that moment, not knowing the man didn't matter, only the safety of her remaining brother.

"Perhaps we should speak outside." He told her, motioning to the backdoor.

Her paranoia began to come back to her as he opened the door for the young woman. Alex hesitated to move.

"It is important." He clarified.

Alex didn't trust the man with no name and had no reason to. With all of the people that did business with SAMCRO, there was no telling who was friend or foe at first glance. Maybe the man here was a friend, maybe he wasn't but Alex wasn't sure she wanted to wait to find out.

"Please." He said.

For some reason, Alex found herself moving. She kept her eyes sternly on the man as she carefully walked by him. If anything, being outside meant she could run if she had to, something the narrow area within the building wouldn't allow and she wasn't about to lead the man to her home. Outside, she could flag down a car. Outside she could scream and get attention. Inside, not so much. So apprehensively, Alex walked passed the man and outside, turning quickly to see him follow, ignorant to the vehicles behind her.

"So what's this about?" she asked, sure to keep a good few feet between them. "You said you're a friend of Jax's."

"I'm more his employer." He explained, the unsettling smile returning to his thin lips. "My name is Romeo Parada."

Alex felt her back shudder. She knew the name and his association with the Club, but she was taught right when she was a kid. If you didn't wear a cut, you weren't supposed to know jack shit about what was happening with the Club's business. So she had to play dumb, something that was difficult given the man standing in front of her was arguably the cause of her problems. He was a player for the Galindo cartel, the ones that Clay was stupid enough to get involved with.

"Who?" she asked, trying to play dumb.

The man chuckled, the sound as dark as the rest of him. He slowly began to walk closer, Alex taking a step back for every one of his forward. She was going to keep distance between them at any cost.

"You're smart. Smarter than that. I know you know who we are."

"Sorry, but if you do business with the Club, I don't know you." She said, still back stepping. "I don't know what you want, but I need to be heading back inside. Okay?"

"I'm afraid not." He said, the smile and kindness gone. "You know more about us than you're letting on and we don't like that. We need to have a talk."

Alex's brows came together, her heart beating harder in her chest than before. She was having flashbacks of what happened to Tara a few weeks ago and it wasn't inspiring. Still she backed up; unaware people were exiting the vehicles behind her. When she came outside, Alex hadn't noticed the glossy black SUVs parked end to end behind her, blocking any escape the way she was walking.

"Please," she said softly, fear starting to take hold. "You don't need to do this."

"I'm afraid we do." He said, still referring to himself in the plural. It didn't calm her down any further. "It was part of the deal."

"Deal?" she breathed, her hands instinctively coming to her lower stomach. The fear swelling within her wasn't for herself this time, or her family. The fear was for one person and one alone, the one growing within her. "Please, don't." she continued to back up. "How'd you find me anyway? The Club?"

The words hurt to ask. She didn't want to think that anyone in her family would rat her out to someone that seemed to want to find her like Romeo did, but there were four within she didn't trust. She didn't know the nomads which took care of the three, but Clay was the one. Clay was the one she didn't trust for shit and when Romeo said the word 'deal', she feared he may have given her up.

There wasn't a good reason why she would want or need to other than her hatred for the man, but maybe to him that was enough. Maybe Clay thought she was a threat? Maybe he thought she was better off dead and used her leaving Charming as the excuse. Hell, something told her these guys were good enough to make her murder look like a home invasion gone wrong. The thought hurt more than the words she spoke.

"We never lost you." He replied, still advancing. "We've had eyes on you since you left Charming."

Alex's eyes began to burn, the young woman unaware of the men standing behind her, the ones she seemed to be creeping closer to.

"You don't have to do this." She begged this time, not above the action like she would have been two months ago.

Tears were burning in her eyes at the thoughts running through her mind. Now, not only would Opie never meet his baby, but neither would she.

"I'm afraid we do." He said simply, no hint of fear, anger, malice, or anything else touching his features or voice.

He seemed completely calm with what he was planning on doing and that was all the more terrifying.

Still Romeo approached and as desperate as she was to keep the distance between them, Alex reached the men behind her. Without warning, her back hit the chest of one of them. She froze immediately, her breath stolen from her in that one action. Alex couldn't move, barely seeing the other two men, one on either side, out of the corner of her eyes.

The tears came this time when she closed her eyes. They glided down her cheeks and she did something she never thought she would. Alex prayed. She prayed internally to survive whatever the hell was about to happen, that her child would be safe. She prayed for everything she wanted, needed, and prayed there was someone listening.

"Please," Alex breathed again, her grip on her stomach tightening as she began to shake. Hesitantly she looked at the man who'd stopped his advances barely six feet from her. She knew he didn't have to go anywhere else when she was surrounded. "I'm pregnant."

Alex always hated when they did that in movies, claimed to be pregnant whether they were or not to save themselves from something bad that was about to happen, but now she understood the need. She _needed_ to tell the man because in the end it was one step above the last thing she could do to save her life. The next step was fighting until she couldn't anymore and she hoped it wouldn't get that far.

Romeo's expression finally changed to one of shock. Of all the things his men had gathered, the information and whatnot, Alex being pregnant wasn't one of them. It seemed surprising and gave the man a reason to retrain his soldiers, but it changed nothing. Her being with child changed absolutely nothing about why he was there and just by looking at him, Alex seemed to know. Her shaking grew more intense.

"Really?"

It was a new voice, one that instantly forced Alex to stop moving, her body frozen passed the point of fear.

The man behind her had spoken, the one she'd run into. She felt the words rumble in his chest before they left his mouth, but it was the sound of them that forced her body to react. It was the familiarity in it that changed everything.

Slowly, unable to comprehend how her legs managed the task despite her trembling knees, Alex took a step and a half forward, enough to turn and see the one behind her. The breath was stolen from Alex immediately at the sight of the all too familiar man. This was someone she knew well, someone she grew up with. This was the one in the Club that made the deal. This was the one that had sent them to find her and despite all of those facts being true, none of them were what ran through the young woman's mind. The shock of seeing the one there made Alex's vision throb and pulse with every heartbeat, the edges of her line of sight beginning to darken.

Kind hazel eyes looked down at her from a face that wasn't supposed to be there, a face she'd struggled so hard to both remember and forget. Bile bubbled in the young woman's throat, threatening to break free with each passing second. She'd all but stopped breathing at the sight of him.

She blinked, struggled to keep seeing the man standing before her, knowing this had to be a sick dream when everything went black. The shock and horror she was experiencing was too much and her body collapsed without her permission.

A single name left her lips before she lost control of herself and fell. A name she hadn't spoken aloud in weeks and one she still teared up at hearing.

Opie.


	44. Chapter 44

**BAM! Here's another one. Hope you likes it. XD**

Chapter 44

Alex's head hurt more than anything she'd ever experienced before. Even her worst hangover or migraine was nothing compared to this. She groaned and struggled to gather her bearings as she pushed herself up from the ground. Alex's vision was still throbbing and her head hurt too much to focus. Slowly, she sat up, her head down as she cradled it within her hands.

"Jesus Christ." She sighed, her stomach still doing back flips without her permission.

Steadying herself, Alex looked around and noticed she was sitting on her couch in her apartment. Her confusion deepened. She didn't remember walking up the stairs or unlocking the door. She didn't remember how the hell she would have gotten there or why. All Alex could think of was the frightening man in the stairwell and seeing… Nope. Impossible.

"Great, I'm hallucinating now." She groaned, adjusting herself to sit upright. "And talking to myself."

"Not exactly."

Alex felt her shoulders tense, electricity course through her body at the heavy accented voice. Hesitantly, she looked to the kitchen and noticed the same two Mexican men she'd seen before, the one from the restaurant and the one from the hall.

"Why are you in my house?" she asked, slowly inching towards the other end of her couch, farthest from the two men staring emotionlessly at her.

"We still have something to discuss with you." Romeo replied simply.

"Get out." She told them, too worried about them being so close to realize they had actually brought her _into_ her home. When neither man moved, Alex's hand snaked around the armrest and clutched the metal shaft hidden. She stood quickly and swung the shotgun around taking aim at the men. She raked a round into the chamber, her face stern. "Get out."

"You're not going to shoot us." Luis said confidently.

"Really?" she cocked a brow. "I'm emotionally unstable, and possibly mentally insane, and you bet I won't put a buckshot straight through your chest? Really?"

The two men glanced to one another out of the corner of their eyes. There was something in her words that told them Alex was being honest. She truly was willing to unload on the two men standing in her kitchen. And she was. There was little that Alex wouldn't do when she felt threatened nowadays.

"Get. Out." She repeated sterner than before.

Silence stretched and before she could command the men to get out again or perhaps just shoot them, Alex heard a noise coming from her bathroom. The toilet flushed, something she hadn't expected. There was another person in her apartment and she wasn't sure she could keep calm much longer. This was the worst situation someone could be in with these kinds of people. She was surrounded again.

Alex backed up towards the window, a stupid thing in and of itself if she was thinking right, and ensured she had a strong stance aiming at both men and the third that would come out of her bedroom. She bobbed the gun between the two areas, waiting for what was to come.

A man stepped one foot out of her bedroom door before spotting the glinting silver weapon and shot back quickly, ducking behind the doorjamb like it would save him from the ball bearings inside the shells. The shot would shred the thin drywall and the man on the other side, but Alex couldn't focus enough to shoot.

"Jesus Christ Alex, it's me." He snapped, still hiding behind the doorway.

Alex's mouth went slack, her aim wavering to the point she was more likely to shoot a hole through the floor than hit a human being.

The same horrible paralyzing realization from the parking lot began to move through her again and no matter how she tried to ignore it, the emotion was still there. Alex began to shake her head repeatedly, chanting the single word 'no' over and over again as though it would make it true as she backed into the corner of the room, not stopping until she hit the wall. The shotgun fell from her loose grip, slamming into the floor at her feet.

There wasn't a sound in the small apartment, everyone remaining still until there was movement in the other room. Slowly, the man from before, the one that wasn't supposed to be there appeared. He peeked around the edge of the door to make sure the young woman had released the weapon before stepping into the living room.

Again Alex began to chant her refusal to believe what she was seeing. It wasn't possible. She saw him in the coffin. She saw him dead… Opie wasn't…

"No!" she screamed suddenly, her internal conversation suddenly releasing from her mouth.

"Alex," Opie said softly, daringly stepping forward.

"Nooo!" she screamed again collapsing to the ground and pushing herself as tightly to the corner as she could. "It's not possible. Get away from me!"

Alex slammed her eyes shut, swearing she was going insane. This wasn't possible He was dead and gone. He was reduced to memory not a tangible being standing in front of her.

Opie's brows pulled together tightly at the young woman curled into the corner shaking like he was a monster in a horror movie closing in on her. Tears streamed down her cheeks as Opie tried to keep moving forward. It hurt seeing her like this, but that was nothing compared to the fear she felt at seeing him.

"Get away from me!" she yelled, using her feet to push herself back without anywhere to go.

"Alex stop." He said, pain filling his voice and features. "It's me."

"No, no, no, no. You're dead. I saw you in your coffin." She cried. "I saw your body."

"I can explain."

"You're not real."

Alex slammed her eyes shut again and began to shake her head furiously, trying to dislodge the images from her mind. He wasn't there. He wasn't there. She kept repeating it to herself over and over again when something touched her face.

She felt a palm form to her cheek, the heat it gave off and a slight pulse within. She bit down on her lips, struggling to keep her eyes closed even though they were drowning in the tears that had yet to be released. Still Alex shook her head and refused to open her eyes.

"Look at me." She heard Opie's voice tell her.

"No." she choked. Alex had lost her mind; there was no other way to say it.

She was finally overcome with grief and everything she'd been experiencing thus far was little more than a delusion. Maybe she never got off her couch. Maybe she was committed without her permission and now was lingering in a world of her own creation to try and cope with everything.

"Alex, please look at me."

The desperate tone of voice forced her to do as it requested. Alex struggled to lift her lids, as though they were weighed down somehow. The moment she had, she saw Opie looking sadly at her.

Hesitantly, she felt her arm move forward and reach out for the man before her. If she touched him, he was real. If her hand touched nothing, she was insane.

All air was stolen from her when her fingers touched the stubble ridden cheeks of the young man in front of her. She gasped as she tried to catch her breath before she cupped his cheek. Without warning, Alex wrapped her arms around the man and buried her face into his neck, inhaling the scent that was only Opie's and feeling his body heat pulse beneath her grip. She was trembling in his arms, but she couldn't help it as she clung desperately to him.

"I lost you." She choked before she could stop herself.

Opie adjusted himself enough to press his cheek to hers.

"You never lost me." He whispered into her ear. His eyes began to glass. "I wanted to tell you."

That seemed to be the one thing that snapped Alex out of her relief driven actions. Her mind began to suddenly work again and she realized what was happening. Opie was here, in her apartment and in her arms. He was supposed to be in the ground, nestled within the black and silver coffin she'd last seen him in. He was supposed to be gone, but he wasn't.

Confusion began to dominate her mind giving her the strength to move. Leaning back, Alex pushed the man's chest away from her and stared at him. Despite the lingering tears and remnants of her former grief, Opie saw nothing but anger reflected back in her green eyes.

"_How_ are you here?" she asked in as even a voice as she could manage.

Opie could see the ire rising within her and wisely moved back. He pushed himself up from his crouched position and watched as Alex did the same, squaring herself on the man.

"I…" he paused. He wasn't sure where to go from there.

"Mr. Winston made a deal with our organization."

The new voice forced her to turn enough to see Romeo stepping forward with an arrogant smile on his lips.

"I don't understand." She muttered, her resolve weakening under the weight of confusion.

"I can explain."

"Someone needs to." She snapped.

Everything was happening so quickly and none of it was making sense. In her mind, the only thing she could think to be was angry and even that seemed to be coming in waves.

"Perhaps we should go." Romeo offered.

He glanced to his partner, the man from the restaurant downstairs and without a word left. Alex was no more comfortable with them gone. As much as she prayed Opie would come home to her, it wasn't a legitimate request. No one can come back from the dead, but here he was. Which meant, in the end, he wasn't dead. Opie was never dead. He lied to her. He put her through hell, and there it was. The anger found its footing and wasn't going to let go now.

The sound of her door closing forced Alex to focus on the man standing in front of her. Opie looked so much the same, but different too. His face looked worn and sad, like he'd gone from hell and back within the passed few weeks. There was a scar on his forehead a few inches long and another on his cheek. She recognized the wounds as the ones he'd sustained in County, but they were mended this time, not left open. There were still stitches holding them together.

His beard was all but gone, something that shocked her. Opie hadn't truly cut it since he started growing facial hair. He'd always had some kind of beard going, but this looked like he'd nearly shaved it down to his skin. At the moment, it was barely more than an inch or so long. His hair was still long though, and tied tightly back into a ponytail letting his ears stick out. People wondered sometimes why a man that intimidating was nicknamed Opie. It was because he looked like the kid from the Andy Griffith show from the big ears to the reddish hair. Duh.

But as nice as it was to see him there, too many unanswered questions coursed through Alex's mind, all of which needed and deserved answers.

"What's going on?" she asked in a shaking voice.

"It's hard to explain."

"Try." She hissed venomously.

Opie's brows twitched together briefly. He had to diffuse the situation if there was a chance he'd survive.

"You look good Alex." He sad, trying to change the subject or flatter her. Whichever.

"You died!" she shot back loudly, her shoulders trembling again. "Tell me what's going on!"

Opie sighed. He knew this was going to be hard the moment he agreed to do it. He knew this was going to happen and should have expected it, but seeing that much hurt reflected back at him was worse than he ever assumed it would be.

Slowly, he backed away from her and took a seat in one of Alex's chairs. His head fell down, the man staring at his boots for a moment as he thought about how to phrase what he had to tell her. There was no way around it. Alex was going to be extraordinarily upset.

"Jax made a deal." He finally said.

Alex's eyes narrowed on the man across from her. For a moment, he didn't do much of anything before reluctantly meeting her questioning eyes.

"Pope wanted a body." He began. "For the cop and cleaner Tig killed. He wanted it to go down in County. One of us was going to go into the cage and fight, until we lost."

Alex felt her stomach curl, the bile return with memories of it.

"Romeo got to the guys first." Opie continued. "Jax told them I wanted out, so they set it up."

"But they beat you to death." She said, the words barely more than a gasp. Jax never said it to her, but she'd heard others talking through the veil of depression that had consumed her for so long.

"Not really." He replied. The injuries he'd sustained we obvious though. "Eighty four stitches. Skull fractures, busted ribs. I'm still not healed right."

Her brows furrowed. That was more than a substantial amount given she could only see twenty stitches on his face. She didn't want to think about what was hidden.

"The doctors were paid off and carted me out of there."

"But the wake…"

"They put me under." He offered, as though he weren't entirely sure himself.

Alex began to shake her head.

"This doesn't make sense. Why? Why would they do that?"

"Because Jax threatened to break their deal."

"Who gives a shit?" Alex snapped loudly. "Why would they care? They're a fucking cartel. How the hell did they get the man power? I don't understand what's happening anymore."

Alex's knees began to shake and she slid to the floor again, curled into the corner. Opie stared at her sadly. She looked lost and he understood why. Opie didn't know how to take anything Jax had told him in County, and he didn't expect Alex to either.

"They're feds." He blurted, finding no other way to say it.

Alex's head slowly lifted to see the man, her brows pulled together tightly.

"What?" she asked softly.

"Romeo and Luis are feds. They've been working some case against the Irish and needed SAMCRO for an open. Jax made them a deal. He knew I wanted out and when Pope wanted a body, Romeo put it together."

"But why wouldn't you tell me?" she asked, the angry tone returning even though agony marred her face. "Why would you put me through that?!"

"I didn't have a choice." He snapped back, wanting, wishing she would understand. "Pope's got people all over. If he knew I was alive, he'd kill everyone to prove a point. I had to be dead. Everyone had to think I was gone, including the Club."

"Do you have any idea what you put me through?" she demanded. As much as he explained, Alex could hardly see passed the betrayal. "I couldn't move for a week! I couldn't do anything because I thought you were gone! Do you have any idea what that does to someone?!"

"I'm sorry." He told her honestly. "It was the only way to put an end to this bullshit. I had to get away from Charming."

"We could have just left." She said, the tears returning. "You didn't have to do this."

"I did it to save my family."

"But you killed me."

Opie didn't know how to come back after that. He hadn't wanted to hurt her, but there was no other way to explain what Alex was going through. With Opie 'dying' in prison, it saved his Club, his family, from a sick bastard like Damon Pope, but he hadn't realized the damage left in his wake. After living through his own family's deaths, Opie didn't know why the thought hadn't crossed his mind. All he knew was he had to protect them, not realizing the same action would hurt more than if he'd actually died.

"I died when Jax told me you were gone." Alex said, her head resting in her hands as she looked down at the carpeted floor. She was weeping again. "I thought I'd never see you again and then I found out I was pregnant."

Opie felt the same strange twinge course through his body, that nervous energy that made his skin prickle. It wasn't necessarily a bad emotion, just strange. It was the kind of sensation you got when you heard something intriguing. It happened before when he heard the words in the parking lot.

"Is that true?"

Silence had stretched between the two after Alex spoke for a while, both struggling to come to terms with what had happened. When she heard his meek question, Alex looked up, resting one arm along her knees, the other in her hair. She looked worn, defeated and broken. And she was. Alex didn't know what to do now. As happy as she was Opie was sitting across the room from her, she was just as angry for what he'd put her through if not more.

"Yeah." Alex finally sighed.

Heaviness took her body, exhaustion moving in from everything that had transpired in the last hour or so alone, not to mention having been awake for nearly twenty hours. Opie watched her from his spot, not willing to move, as she finished running her fingers through her hair and wiped her cheeks free of tears.

"What happens now?" she asked after a moment, reluctantly meeting his eyes again. "Did you just come here to show me you're alive and then leave again? Or are you just here to taunt me?"

"What?" he asked confused, the expression matching his tone. "Why would you…"

"Because I don't know what to think right now Opie." She interrupted sternly. "You died three weeks ago and now you suddenly show up. Are you going to leave again? Are you going to just walk away and leave me here by myself _again_?"

Her voice started shaking the longer she spoke. He found himself shaking his eyes, his eyes burning and turning glassy.

"No." he told her honestly. "I'm not going anywhere."

"I don't believe you."

"Alex, I came back for you. Why do you think I'm here?"

"Because you're sadistic?" she offered. "Why else would you let someone think you're fucking dead for almost a month?"

"I didn't have a choice." He snapped.

"You had a choice; you just didn't give a shit!"

"I love you! I had to do this so I could get you and my kids away from Clay before he killed everyone else I cared about!" he bellowed.

The two were yelling at each other again and somehow had made it to the middle of the room to confront one another. Neither was willing to back down until the other knew exactly how they felt.

"You should've told me."

"I wanted to. Do you know how hard it was for me to not call you? I thought Jax would've said something before it got this far."

The very air in the room dropped ten degrees, Alex's eyes narrowing on the ghost of Opie.

"Jax knew about this?" she asked with a growl.

Opie hesitated to speak. He hadn't meant to say that, not at all.

"He knew?!" she bellowed, this time planting her hands against his chest and shoving hard. Opie back stepped and bit down a groan of pain from his injured ribs. "How could you do this to me?! I thought you were my brothers!"

Alex continued to yell, pushing the man each time before Opie hit a wall. Using it, he grabbed for her, wrapping his massive arms around Alex and holding her close. She struggled to free herself, but he wouldn't let go. Alex was losing the fight and her energy.

Opie held until she stopped moving so violently, but again she shook. He had time to come to terms with everything, being on the inside of the betrayal, but Alex wasn't. He couldn't guess the kind of hurt she felt. Everywhere she turned, yet another person was lying to her. But he'd known what to expect, that knowing didn't help in the end, but he had expected her violent reaction.

"I'm so sorry." He whispered into her hair, holding her tighter than he rightfully should. Opie slammed his eyes shut releasing the few tears of his own that had gathered. "I'm so, so sorry baby."

"Why?" Alex choked into his jacket, gasping for air as she wept into the cloth.

He didn't know if she was asking why he was apologizing or why he'd put her through hell. Either way he didn't have an answer. He'd never have a good answer. All he could tell her and try to make her understand was he was trying to save her. Alex might not forgive him for a long time, but he would rather she hate him then lose her completely like he had his dad and Donna.

"Why would you do this?" she asked again in the same weak, shaking voice.

Opie didn't answer. He knew she didn't truly want one in the end because nothing he could tell her would ever make up for it. But there was one thing he could say. He wanted to ask her something, something that weighed heavily on his mind. Opie couldn't help himself in the end.

"Please don't leave." He found himself asking, begging really. "Don't leave me alone."

Alex couldn't speak, still hugged tightly in the man's arms with her own tucked between their chests. She didn't know what to say and wasn't entirely certain there was anything to tell him. Did he really have the right to ask her to stay when he left her alone, pregnant to think he was dead?


	45. Chapter 45

Chapter 45

The sun had begun to rise in the sky, shades of foggy and muted pink and orange shining through her thinly covered windows. Alex hadn't been to sleep yet, not truly. She couldn't. No matter how tired her body was becoming and how much her eyes burned or drooped, Alex couldn't fall asleep. The sight of Opie sitting in the chair again, his head to the side asleep was enough to keep her awake. She couldn't stop thinking about him. Even though the two had spent the better part of the morning talking, yelling and explaining, she was no closer to understanding what had happened.

"_So what happens now?" she asked._

"_I don't know." He replied honestly, his forearms resting against his knees as he leaned forward in his seat. "It's up to you."_

"_What is?" she asked with irritation. Her mood hadn't lightened since the conversation had truly begun._

"_What happens."_

"_I don't understand."_

"_I came back for you, Alex. I want to stay with you." He told her, praying she understood._

_Alex twitched internally, but her face was still devoid of emotion. It frightened the young man more than her screaming._

"_What about Mary? Lyla? What about your kids? What about the Club?"_

"_Fuck the Club." He snapped before he could stop himself. Opie's anger wasn't for the Club, more so Clay but he was still angry. "And the kids are going to come with us when they finish the school year. When they get out, we're going to pack our shit and leave California, start over brand new somewhere else."_

"_Just like that?" she shrugged sarcastically._

_Opie nodded._

"_That was the deal."_

"_And you're going to just stop talking to everyone else?"_

"_They're not that important anymore." He told her truthfully. And they weren't. Of everyone, his kids and Alex were the only ones who mattered. Besides, Jax already knew he was still alive. That was enough for Opie. "I just want my family."_

_Alex sat on the couch with her knees curled up on the cushion, chewing on her thumb as she thought. As much as she wanted to be with him again, forgiveness wasn't that easy, not after what he put her through._

"_What happened in there?" she asked._

_Opie sighed, running his hand down his face and missing the beard._

"_It all happened kind of fast." He said, assuming she meant what happened in County._

"_I mean while you were gone. In the hospital."_

_He nodded his understanding slowly._

"_Broken ribs, subdermal hematoma, twelve stitches here," he said pointing to his forehead then his cheek. "Eleven here. Almost fifty-eight in random places on the back of my head."_

"_I thought they weren't supposed to kill you."_

"_They weren't. The assholes had their fun though." He groaned at the memory. "Long term memories kind of shit right now."_

"_What do you mean?" she asked, never considering he'd have brain damage._

"_I remember bits and pieces of the last ten years or so. That's about it. There's some gaps."_

"_I'm sorry." Alex found herself saying, truly sorry for that._

_Opie let a weak smile of gratitude touch his lips as they continued talking. Alex was trying to wrap her mind around everything he was saying, but she could do little more than listen. Comprehension seemed to be something that would come later on if at all._

That was a few hours ago. Opie had struggled to stay awake to keep talking to her before giving in and falling asleep against his will. Alex wasn't fairing very well either, but was glad she didn't have to work.

Eventually, finding she was too tired to continue thinking after being awake for so long, Alex rose. She walked to Opie and gently touched his shoulder. The man shot awake quickly, his eyes looking around frantically as he struggled to remember where he was. When his eyes fell to Alex he immediately calmed.

"Come on." She told him. "Lets got to bed."

Opie hesitated to move at all until Alex walked through her bedroom door. He wasn't sure she meant it, but decided to take the chance. Heaving himself up, the large man walked towards the doorway and saw Alex within changing into her night clothes. She was in the process of pulling down her night shirt when Opie saw it. There was a tiny, tiny bump below her belly button. He only noticed it because of her previous statements.

He walked into the room as Alex sifted through her drawers for a pair of shorts or something to wear, so tired she didn't notice him take a seat on her bed to remove his boots. She was moving as though she were alone, shedding her jeans and grabbing the cotton shorts.

When Alex pulled them on, she turned and noticed Opie sitting on her bed without his boots. He looked at the young woman with a heavy expression, still drenched in sadness and regret. He offered her his hand. He didn't expect her to take it and was grateful when she had. Alex moved forward as he gently pulled her closer, letting the woman stand between his knees. He glanced up to her for silent permission as he took the hem of her shirt into his fingers.

Alex didn't move when Opie rolled up the clingy fabric only a few inches and released it, letting it stay in its spot as he looked at the tiny blip. He could see it as easily as Alex could, the bump of the growing baby; because he knew it wasn't supposed to be there. He felt his heart beating quickly in his chest before Alex gently took his hand in hers. His eyes moved to the young woman looking down at him before he felt her press his open palm to her stomach.

Opie's gaze traveled back to the bump that disappeared completely beneath his giant hand. A weak laugh left his lips. For the first time in a while, he felt as happy as he knew he was allowed. As sad as it was to say or think, Opie was afraid to smile genuinely, fearing that whatever brought him the joy would be torn away quickly, but this was different. This was something he couldn't ignore.

"I'm eight weeks in a few days." She told him.

"Wow."

The word left his lips before he could stop it. It was a situation that merited astonishment.

"It's weird, right?" Alex asked with a light laugh.

Opie felt himself share the reaction and nodded.

"Yeah." He chuckled softly. "It is."

Alex smiled for the first time in a while before letting him remove his hand. Well, she took her own away but Opie was struggling to do the same. He couldn't help it.

"Ope?" Alex asked after a moment or two of silence.

He looked up, his hand still tenderly cradling her lower stomach.

"Sleep?" she offered with a raised brow.

"Oh, right." He replied, clearing his throat and moving back.

Alex smiled to herself and moved towards her side of the bed. She pulled the blankets back and nestled in as Opie stripped himself of his shirt and jeans. Alex heard the giant thunk of fabric and rolled enough to see him standing there, bare-chested and covered in diminishing bruises. Her brows pulled together tightly as he slid in beside her.

"Awe." She whispered, the sound almost too soft for him to hear.

Alex couldn't help it, moving towards him and wrapping her arms around the man's waist. Opie let her, more thankful than anything, as she curled to his side again like she had so long ago. He found himself overjoyed from the contact, her body heat and pulse lulling him back into his old sense of safety and happiness. He twitched when she raked her fingernails along the man's opposite side, inadvertently tickling the man. She felt a few tears surface for the injured man.

"Don't leave me again." She whispered, hugging him as tightly as she dared.

Opie's arm came around her shoulder and gently cupped her arm. His thumb traced a line up and down her skin before he nodded to himself.

"I won't." he answered, his senses being flooded by her again from the heat of her skin to the scent of her hair.

"Promise me."

A weak smile twitched at his lips.

"I promise." He said softly, bending enough to kiss the top of her head. Opie lingered in the action while Alex reveled in it. "Besides, you're my baby's mama now."

Alex reached back and slapped his gut causing him to groan more than she meant. She wanted to apologize for hurting him, but part of her figured her deserved it. She smiled to the man who forced himself to do the same. When the two relaxed again, Alex felt the sleep that evaded her for so long, the real deep and restful sleep, creep over her body and let it take her.

Opie fell asleep not long after her. Despite the rage, the yelling, the anger and everything that had transpired throughout their initial meeting, he was glad she hadn't kicked him out. Maybe it meant she'd already forgiven him, he didn't know. But Opie had wanted this for the passed few weeks and now he had it.

~~~!~~~

Later on, Alex might be able to understand why he did what he did. Later on she might not be as mad. Later on, Alex might even be able to fully trust Opie again, but she didn't know. The underlining fear that he would leave her again had grown to something she felt uncomfortable harboring. The fear that someone would take Opie away again was almost too much for her and she didn't like it.

Opie hadn't willingly left Alex beforehand. He hadn't left her for his own gain or for some other bullshit reason. He left to save her. He left to keep her and his family safe. Regardless, the situation around his deception had been horrible, worse for her than he realized. For him, the only pain was not calling his loved ones. For them, it was burying him. The scale weighed heavily in their favor for having the worst of it and he hadn't realized it until he saw Alex again. Why, he didn't know, but Opie had never assumed she cared about him enough to mourn the man's passing. He never really assumed anyone loved him enough to be that hurt.

Alex found herself creeping out of her bedroom while Opie slept. As much as she hated doing it, wanting nothing more for weeks than to be in his arms again, she had someone she needed to talk to. Well, _talking_ wasn't the plan.

"_Yeah?"_ a voice answered on the other end of the line.

"You have some explaining to do Teller." Alex growled into the phone, trying to keep her voice down so Opie couldn't hear her.

"_Okay…"_ he answered hesitantly. _"Bout what darlin'?"_

"Give you a hint. Six foot four, long hair, beard, a _pulse_."

He knew pretty quickly Alex was describing Opie, but when she reached the end of her sentence, he knew something else too. She had found out.

"_What uh, what are you…"_

"Cut the shit Jackson." She snapped angrily before hushing herself. "Do you have any idea what I've been doing for the last twelve hours?"

"_Sleeping?"_ he offered weakly.

"Talking to a ghost."

Jax still hesitated to tell her anything. Without Alex coming right out to say it, he wasn't sure he should.

"_Does this mean you found out?"_ he asked vaguely.

"How could you keep something like this from me?" she pressed, her voice starting to crack. "You know what his death did to me. Why wouldn't you…" Alex stopped herself and fell onto the couch, a hand put to her forehead. "Why wouldn't you tell me?"

"_I couldn't."_ he told her softly. _"I couldn't risk you saying anything or someone else finding out. Ope's supposed to be dead. He's gotta stay that way."_

"It's me, Jax. Why wouldn't you tell me?"

"Because_ it's you. If you were acting like nothing happened, someone would have found out."_

"I didn't move for over a week! You saw that shit. You knew I was in love with him."

"_Not like that."_ He said dejectedly. "_I love you Alex, but I couldn't say anything. You don't know who these people are."_

"I'm starting to get a clue." She sighed, shaking her head. "So now what? Does he stay in hiding forever or what?"

"_Least till Pope's gone and the Club's clear."_

"How long'll that take?"

"_Don't know."_

"The guys are going to be angry Jax. They're going to feel like you betrayed them."

"_What makes you say that?" _he asked, hearing how intensely she spoke.

"Because that's how I feel." She replied. Alex sat there for a moment, hearing nothing on the other end of the line and knowing she made her point. With a sigh, she shoved herself up. "Look, I'm going back to bed."

"_Yeah."_ Jax agreed sadly. _"Love you darlin'."_

"Yeah." Alex agreed. "Me too."

And with that, she hung up the phone. For the first time ever perhaps, Alex hadn't actually told Jax she loved him. She couldn't right now. She wasn't even sure which direction was up, let alone who she could trust or love anymore.

As she walked to the doorway, Alex saw the massive man lying in bed. Her heart began to flutter again like it did when she was younger and he came around. Her stomach filled with butterflies and a smile tried to form her lips. Alex stood there for a while watching the giant sleep, unable to look away.

Was she insane for welcoming him back as quickly as she had? Should she be happy or still upset? How would any sane person handle something like this? Could they?

Too many questions coursed through the young woman's mind. They hurt. All of the contradictions were giving her a headache, but then she decided on something. The fragility of life and life even knowing SAMCRO was the only constant. The people you love could be there one moment and gone the next. Losing so much of her family taught her that and there was one thing Alex was going to do. She was going to enjoy the little amount of time she had with Opie. She already lost him once and despite knowing she wouldn't survive it again, she wanted to make the memories she could make with him now count.

Slowly, Alex made her way into the room and back into bed. Opie was sleeping on his back, his head to the side with one arm beneath it, the other across his chest. Alex crept closer to the man, hovering over him slightly as she gripped his cheek tenderly in her hand. She traced her thumb along the skin before his beard and bent down. Alex kissed him lightly and curled back against the man, her head resting on his chest. She could hear his heart beating within his chest and took solace in the sound. It meant he was alive now, despite everything she thought and went through, this wasn't a dream and Opie was alive, with her.

A slow smile crept along her lips at the thought of him finding her. He came to her, not Lyla. Opie came home to _her_. That meant he was hers and vice versa. They belonged together.

"I love you Opie." She whispered softly. The men beneath her took a deep breath but said nothing in return, sleeping too heavily. "And if you ever fake your death again, I'll fucking kill you."

Something that resembled a laugh rumbled within the man's chest. She didn't know if he truly heard her or not, but Alex wasn't joking. If Opie ever, _ever_ did something like this again, she'd kill him and make an honest man out of him.

An arm came around her body and held her tight again. Opie moved enough to make the two more comfortable than before and then stopped. Alex closed her eyes and let sleep take over again, ready to spend the rest of her life in that moment. She didn't know what was going to happen tomorrow, or the day after that or the day after that, but she knew for now that this was all she needed or wanted. For now, this was her life and she'd try to make the best of it until it was ripped from her grasp again.

**Author's Note. Okay guys, for now, this is the end of the story. I don't plan on honestly ending it because we all know there is a bountiful storyline for the show. But, I am going to have to put this on hiatus for the time being. It's going to be difficult in some regards to mix Opie back into the show, but I think I can do it, I just won't be able to do the daily updating anymore. Besides, Sutter is good at making a shit storm of drama that'll easily pull the two back into Charming in the end. So if you want to stick with the story but you aren't following it, I suggest you do just so you'll know when I actually do update it.**

**I want to thank you guys, truly, for staying with the story and all of the kind words. Thank you.  
**


	46. Chapter 46

**Holy Hell a new chapter! I last updated this thing on Halloween. Wow... This is just a kind of 'coming to terms with everything' chapter with just Alex and Opie. I'm thinking about doing one of Opie during the time he was 'gone'. What do you guys think? I wanted to update something while I think about how to continue, just to let you guys know I haven't forgotten about the story. :) **

**Enjoy!**

Chapter 46

Alex had awakened periodically through the night. She found herself questioning everything as frequently and thoroughly as she had been before.

At one point she moved out of the bed entirely and to her dresser. She sat atop the piece of furniture and stared at the monstrously sized man in her seemingly undersized bed. He dwarfed it, easily beneath his massive frame and as grateful and happy as she was to see him in it once again, Alex found herself wondering if it were real.

Consciously, rationally, Alex knew Opie was there, tangible and laying in her bed only six feet away. Every other way, emotionally and so forth, her brain refused to believe it. The majority of her mind didn't, _couldn't_ fathom it.

The situation she found herself in would be difficult if not impossible to explain to anyone. She was not only told by everyone that knew the man that he was dead, but she had seen him in the coffin. Harry Winston had a headstone only a few plots away from his father. Harry Winston was dead, so knowing that, who the hell was laying in her bed?

Sometime during the passed hour, Alex had thought herself cross-eyed, gnawing her left thumb bloody and having to switch to her right as she thought further. It was all she could do. Actions were beyond her.

Opie took a deep breath and stretched in his sleep, his arm sweeping the bed where she'd been laying. By the time it moved over the entire space, he seemed to have realized she wasn't there anymore. Sensing the body that was supposed to be there was gone, Opie suddenly shot up in bed, fear touching his features as he looked around frantically for her.

"Ope," Alex said softly, alerting the man to her presence on the other side of the room.

Panting and breathing heavily with the near terror he'd felt, if even for a brief moment, his eyes met with her. Instantly Opie calmed. He took in one deep reassuring breath after another before falling easily onto the bed. He pressed his palm to his forehead and relaxed.

"Jesus Christ." He groaned in a voice thick with sleep.

A weak smile touched Alex's lips at his reaction to her being gone. Opie sighed to himself rubbing the heels of his palms into his eyes before propping his back on the pillow and looking to her. His brows pulled together.

"You get much sleep?" he asked curiously, noting the weary and drawn expression touching her features.

Alex shrugged a shoulder, still chewing on her thumb like a teething puppy.

"A bit." She lied. In truth she'd gotten little more than an hour and a half. "I'll make coffee."

Opie's understanding of her wasn't clearing as she pushed herself off the dresser's surface and moved into the kitchen without another glance to the man. He sat there for a moment, running his fingers through his disheveled hair. Something wasn't right with Alex and he was at least astute enough to notice that much.

Without waiting or bothering to continue dwelling without an answer, Opie stood. He stretched marginally and followed after Alex.

When he rounded the corner of her bedroom door's threshold, he had a clear view of her standing in the kitchen, her back to him as she turned off the sink's tap and moved to pour the liquid into the coffee pot's reservoir. She continued keeping busy, wiping off droplets of water on the sink's edge and all but refusing to even look at the bedroom. After a minute or two of 'busy work', Alex stopped moving entirely.

Opie leaned against the threshold with his forearm, watching as she placed her palms against the cheap countertop's surface, her shoulders slumping and head falling. She remained like that until even the weight of her shoulders was too much and she fell forward onto the surface, her elbow's propped up with her head in her hands. It didn't take long before he heard soft crying muffled through her palms.

"Shit." He breathed to himself.

Unable to stand seeing her like this for long, even less when it was his doing, Opie stepped forward and into her kitchen. Alex seemed to tense almost immediately when she sensed his massive frame behind her. The action forced his steps to hesitate.

"Alex,"

She didn't speak but stood upright and wiped her face with the back of her hands. He heard her clear her throat in a weak attempt to steady her voice.

"Coffee'll be done in a minute Ope." She said, the throat clearing barely dislodging the frog.

With his brows seemingly permanently gathered to the center of his forehead, Opie finished his trek into the kitchen and took his place behind Alex, a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't," she whispered, shifting just enough to remove his hand. She stepped a few paces to the side, her back to the corner between the wall and her fridge. Her hand came to her lips and her eyes refused to meet him. "Just… don't."

He crossed his arms over his chest, trying to appear as though he wasn't as hurt as he felt.

"Somethin' wrong?" he asked knowingly.

A weak laugh left her lips before she mocked his stance and looked to him, tears lingering in her eyes.

"Everything's wrong Ope, everything." She told him honestly. Opie wisely didn't speak, waiting for her to continue. "What the hell are we doing?"

"What do you mean?"

"Twenty-four hours ago, you were in the ground and now you're standing here, in my kitchen, in San Francisco," her eyes glanced over him. "In a pair of green striped boxers."

He fidgeted slightly at her observation, forgetting briefly that he was only wearing his underwear but truly not caring either way.

"So forgive me for not being a hundred percent certain how I should be acting."

"It's a lot to take, I get it…"

"No, you don't." she interjected quickly. "You have no idea. How the hell would you feel if Donna came walking through the door right now? Or Piney?"

"It's not the same." He bristled.

"Why?"

"Because I saw their dead bodies." He told her tersely, his nerves fraying at the thoughts she forced into his brain.

"Really?" she snapped indignantly. "So what the hell was your viewing? As far as I knew, that was _your_ dead body."

"The hell do you want from me Alex? I was out of options. I didn't have a choice."

He was beginning to lose his patience, but neither was prepared to stand down. Each felt they had a valid point about the situation at hand and both were willing to defend it to the death. It didn't matter they knew each other well enough to know it'd have been easier to build a snowman next to a volcano then impress their opinion.

"I don't know." She shot back, throwing her hands up into the air in resignation. "I don't know what I want. I don't know what to _think_."

He growled to himself, wishing, _praying _she'd understand, but knew the two of them would do little more than argue in circles like they'd been doing.

"Then tell me what you want me to do."

Alex's eyes met his concerned face. She sighed, running her fingers through her hair.

"I don't know."

This time the words were little more than a breath.

"Just… tell _me_ what's supposed to happen now."

"What do you mean?"

"What's the plan? How did you see this shit playing out when you made the big reveal?" Alex didn't bother hiding her sarcasm and displeasure as she spoke. "Where do we go from here? I mean, did you think about the consequences of this?"

"Consequences?"

She fought the urge to reply _that means no_ when he spoke. As hard as it was for her, she had to keep the snarky comments to a minimum.

"Like what this is gonna do to Kenny and Elle, for example."

He tensed again and she realized that he hadn't.

"Honey, as much as it hurts me to say this, maybe you suddenly coming back into their lives isn't the best thing in the world to do."

"They're my kids Alex." He said angrily, unable to hide the emotion. Of the few things in the world that garnered his hatred, someone talking bad about his family, his children was high on it, even higher when they were right and he was wrong. "I'm not leaving them in Charming."

"Opie!" she snapped, trying to silence him and get him to calm down as best she could even though he was going to hate her for what she had to say. "I know you love them, but seriously, think about it. They buried you, just like the rest of us did. If you come sauntering back into their lives, they're not going to know which way is up."

"You seem to be handling it okay." He defended.

"Barely." Alex corrected. "And I'm a full grown fucking adult. They're kids, not even in middle school yet. They lost their mom, their grandpa and their dad within three years. That's they're whole goddamn world, and you want to come back? What's to stop them from thinking the same about pops? Or Donna? And then they could tell someone. What then? What if they tell Lyla of all fucking people? The shit storm that would come down from this is astronomical."

"So what then, you're telling me I have to abandon them? They're my blood. They're all I got left. I can't just walk away." His voice was echoing off the walls in the small kitchen.

"You already did." She said, the words softly spoken but might as well have been yelled at him. Opie immediately froze. "Ope, you already walked away from them and everyone else."

Her words sank into him more than he wanted to admit. As painful as it was for him to hear, she wasn't wrong. As much as he hated it, Alex wasn't wrong. He hadn't thought about it before, at least not as in depth as she seemed to.

Opie sighed again, feeling the weight of his previous decision to die bury him in more grief and regret than before. He took a few steps back, enough to remain in her line of sight but lean against the wall behind him. The thought of actually leaving his kids, his children behind… he didn't know what to say or really feel. He was lost, that's the only thing he could discern.

"You're dead Opie." Alex said quietly. His eyes traveled to meet hers again. "Dead men don't have families."

Her voice cracked and he found himself grateful for it. At least it was as hard for her to say as it was for him to hear.

Opie's eyes began to burn and he knew what was close. Alex could see them forming, his hazel green becoming glassy, red rimmed with the promise of tears not far behind. It shattered her heart to see, even more when she knew why.

"I can't ever see them again, can I?"

His voice broke and turned the words hoarse as they struggled to leave his throat. Alex's brows pulled together. Pushing herself away from the wall she approached him. When she was close enough, Alex hugged his broken body, Opie clinging to her before burying his face in her hair.

Almost immediately Alex could feel him begin to shake. Ordinarily people would consider this weakness, his crying, but she knew otherwise. She knew the depths of the pain he was feeling at only the mention of never seeing his kids again.

"Not yet." She whispered into his bare chest. "Just not yet." Her words made him tense his grip. "Maybe when they're older and they can understand why, but not now."

"How long'll that be?" he mumbled softly.

"I don't know baby." She answered honestly, gripping her wrist behind his back to ensure she wouldn't release him. "I don't know."

The two remained that way for a while, holding each other as everything around them crumbled. The plan Opie had come up with, the perfect plan to reveal himself and take his kids and the woman he loved away from the poison that was Charming and SAMCRO was shot to shit. It was a romantic notion, one that couldn't work in reality, but he had been too determined to see it. He'd been too determined to get away from it all to realize the harm it would cause.

"I'm sorry." She said after a few minutes of silence.

Opie took in a deep breath but it was shaky at best. She heard him choke on it even if he didn't want her to. Her grip tightened further, if it were possible, to try and console him as best she could. In this situation they both knew there was little to nothing that could be said or done to make it better.

"Promise you'll stay." He whispered, dipping his nose down enough to nuzzle it beside her ear. "I can't handle anyone else disappearing."

And she knew he couldn't. Opie had lost everything in one fail swoop, his family both by blood and affiliation along with his home town. Everything, _everything_ was gone.

Slowly Alex pulled back enough to look at Opie, their chests still pressed together and grip secure. He met her gaze, eyes glistening along with the bit of his cheeks the tears had touched.

"As long as you never leave me like that again." She told him in response.

"I won't."

"I mean it," Alex said sternly. "Harry."

His brows twitched briefly before he dipped down and kissed her sweetly on the lips. Alex felt the heat of him surge through her immediately and warm her to the bone, like it was washing away the last bits of cold his _death_ had forced on her. When he parted he didn't go far and pressed his forehead to hers.

"I promise."

Alex nodded slowly. In the world the pair found themselves in, they were all the other had now. Jax was distracted with his Club bullshit and being near him meant being near them. And sadly enough, neither had blood family anymore, not really at least. They were alone.

For the first time in his life, Opie truly was alone. All he had was Alex and he couldn't let her go. Sadly, Alex had been there before, lost and by herself when she left Charming the first time so she knew what to do. She could help him. She could be there for him, be with him and guide them both through the hell they were surrounded in.

"I love you." Opie said.

"I love you too." She whispered, taking in a deep breath and releasing it louder than normal. "You asshole."

A chuckle rumbled in the man's barrel chest though it never left his lips. It made her feel better just to hear it.

"Come on," Alex said, pulling back. "Coffee's done."

Opie nodded to her before bending forward and kissing her lips again. It was a desperate peck, but the best either could manage.

Reluctantly she pulled away from him and poured them both a mug of steaming black coffee.

Opie hung back, remaining in his perch against the wall watching Alex. So much shit had happened since she'd come home that he honestly didn't have the slightest idea how to organize it in his mind, to rationalize it or make sense of it. He wasn't certain of anything when it came to her or the passed year and a half. All he could say, or presume to feel, was the he didn't want her gone.

Like before Alex was his steady, his rock and the passed three weeks without him was a deeper hell than he ever thought he'd experience. As important as Jax had been before to keep him and his mind in one piece, that privilege now fell to her.

What he didn't know was she was the same. When Alex glanced over her shoulder and smiled weakly to him, Opie barely managing to return the favor, he didn't know that she relied on him as much if not more than he did her.

The two were halves of the same whole now and if the other ever vanished again… there'd be no coming back from that. The thought of it made Opie remember how he felt when Romeo told him there was no way to see her again or anyone else. It was soul crushing to say the least.

In his heart, as much as he hated to admit it, Kenny and Elle might actually be better off without him around. He'd already fucked their childhood up more than he thought possible. If they had a chance at happiness or normalcy he knew it wouldn't be with him and that sickeningly painful thought only added further validity to his notion that she couldn't leave his side again.

Codependent didn't even come close to their relationship now.


	47. Chapter 47

**AN: I know it's been a while since I've updated, and this one's a bit short, but I'm struggling to keep the story going with him still alive. It's kicking my ass, but I'm going to try and keep going, just be patient with me. :) Enjoy!**

Ch.47

_A grating beep sounded repeatedly in the background, high pitched and forcing him to cringe. Opie groaned, doing his best to open his eyes but managed only to get a blurry, one sided view of the room around him._

"_Mr. Winston?"_

_The voice was louder than he would have liked and forced another cringe._

"_W…" he choked._

"_Don't speak." The stranger out of sight demanded softly. "You've been sedated for the passed week and a half with a breathing tube. The irritation will pass, but still try not to speak."_

_He wanted to move, to try and sit up or stand but everything felt heavy and useless. _

"_Whe…" he struggled to ask again, this time coughing and immediately regretting it. Everything pulsed with white hot pain, the beeping growing faster and louder than before at his reaction._

"_Mr. Winston," the voice sighed, this time coming into view. Opie saw white topped with a spot of brown and nothing more through his haze. "Please, don't speak. You're currently at UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento California. You've been here for nine days."_

_The man in the bed moved his head from one direction to another trying to see where he was while the doctor watched. The stranger who had been admitted the previous week was in horrible shape and didn't look any better now other than his eyes were open. Well… eye._

_When Mr. Winston had been brought into the hospital's ICU, he was nearly dead. He'd lost nearly four pints of blood through gashes both on the back of his head, on his face and internally. Bruises stretched across every inch of visible skin as well as most of it beneath his gown. Stitches were barely visible through the swollen, scabbed cuts and limbs busted. How he'd ever made it off the operating table was still a shock to anyone who saw him come in, but evidently he was stubborn, even dying twice while being operated on only to come back. Miracle._

"_Mr. Winston, I'm Doctor Addams and I'm going to be taking care of you, all right?"_

_Opie didn't bother nodding, his mind having far too much trouble trying to come to grips with what was happening to give a damn about the man in white he could barely see through his good eye while the other one remained swollen shut._

_There was more chatter of which Opie didn't give a damn to hear. He could only think of what happened to bring him there. He remembered being in SJCC jail. He remembered everything Jax had told him and he remembered getting in the cage. He fought as best he could, but it wasn't enough. Opie as supposed to lose and he did._

Opie shot out of sleep, his body aching immediately when he had, the back of his head burning with memory. He groaned, touching the afflicted area and wincing. He could feel every stitch sewn through his scalp and every hit that created them.

"Ope?"

He looked up and noticed Alex staring worriedly at him through the doorway. He had been making noises in his sleep, breathing heavily and not whimpering, but making whatever the male version of that sound would be. He sounded like he was fighting and it frightened her enough to force the young woman to investigate.

"You okay?" she asked, seeing the light sheen of sweat on his forehead glistening in the light.

Opie managed a weak nod. Alex didn't believe him and he wasn't sure he truly expected her to. The large man slowly sat up, his head aching as he looked to the young woman. Without speaking, he waved at her to come closer.

Alex stepped tentatively into the room. She knew he wasn't going to lash out because of his dream, but she wasn't sure how to react either. She'd never seen him like that before.

"You sure you're okay?" she asked, sitting beside him on her bed.

"Better." He told her, his voice gravely and thick.

Alex smiled softly when Opie wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her towards his chest. She fell into him, the two of them lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling.

"Nightmare?"

Opie took a deep breath and exhaled it loudly, shaking his head gently.

"Memory."

She nodded to herself. Alex knew the power of memories and knew they could be worse than any nightmare.

They stopped talking shortly after that. Opie pulled Alex to his side in such a way his arm wrapped around her frame, his massive hand dwarfing the small bump forming in her stomach. He tensed and relaxed his fingers repetitively, languidly, inadvertently sending chills down Alex's spine. Eventually Alex's hand came to rest on his.

"It's a boy." Opie said out of nowhere.

Alex adjusted herself enough to eye the man skeptically.

"How do you know?"

A smile touched his lips and he shrugged.

"I just know." He offered, as though it were that simple.

Alex laughed before she could stop herself. She shook her head at the man when her cell phone began to ring. She tried to get up, but Opie wouldn't let her, pulling her back down onto the bed beside him. Alex giggled while Opie smiled. When she tried again, he did the same and pulled her to his side. The third time, Alex reacted by digging her fingertips into his side and causing him to groan.

By the time he released her, Alex's phone had already stopped ringing, but it dinged letting her know there was a voicemail. Smiling at her victory with Opie, Alex replayed the message left behind.

"_Hey Alex,"_ Jax said. "_The boys were in a car wreck last night with Gemma."_

And that was the end of the message.

Alex remained still, motionless as the words slowly made their way into her brain. The boys and Gemma were in an accident. How bad was it? Were they okay? What happened?

Opie watched as she suddenly sprang into action, her face a shade or two lighter than normal. Alex ran for the closet and began to pull out everything in search of one pair of jeans she could put on. He watched shirts and hangers alike fly through the air, one or two of them nearly hitting him in the process.

"What's goin on?" he finally demanded.

Alex stumbled out of the closet, one leg in her jeans while she tried to force the other in, nearly face planting in the process.

"The boys and Gemma were in a car wreck." she replied, finally falling onto her bed. It steadied her enough to forcefully push her foot through the spare leg. "I have to go home, I have to see what's going on."

"Jesus," Opie sighed, running his fingers through his hair and down his face as he thought about the possibilities that something might really be wrong. "I'm coming too."

Alex buttoned her jeans just as Opie reached for a different shirt to throw on. She stopped him immediately.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"To Charming. I need to see Jax."

Her brows pulled together in the middle of her forehead. Slowly Alex shook her head at him.

"Ope, you can't go. You have to stay here."

"He's my brother." he snapped.

"And you're dead." she shot back. He flinched. Alex took a breath and calmed down just enough to talk to him. "You can't go with me. You have to stay here."

She could see the moment the realization sank in. Opie's eyes dropped with his shoulders. He tossed the shirt aside and fell onto the foot of the bed to sit. Alex felt horrible. It looked like he was finally starting to see the downside to pretending you were dead.

Alex walked towards him and wrapped her arms around the back of his head. She hugged him to her stomach while he in turn wrapped his arms around her and held her close.

"I'm sorry, but you have to stay here." she whispered.

She felt Opie nod into her stomach before he pulled back and looked up at her. she forced a sideways smile.

"I'll call you when I get into Charming, let you know what's going on."

He nodded and reached up, pulling her down to kiss her. Alex tensed slightly at the action. She still wasn't entirely sure what to make of the whole situation involving his coming back to life, but returned the light affection. When they parted she smiled again and kissed his forehead before grabbing her keys and leaving.

Opie sat on the bed for a moment, staring at his hands as he thought. He wanted to go back to Charming, the urge almost too much for him to control. It tingled in his fingers, through his hands and wanted to take over every muscle in his body. He wanted to see his brother, his kids and make sure his family was safe. The urge to go home was stronger than the warning Romeo had given him.


	48. Chapter 48

**I feel so bad that it's been two months... I wish I could churn them out faster. Hopefully I'll start a pattern and at least get them out every couple of weeks or something instead of this ridiculously long amount. Hope you guys enjoy this!**

Chapter 48

Alex sped along the freeway towards the small town she'd called home nearly her whole life. She told Opie she'd call him on one of the prepaid phones she had stashed in her apartment and that he needed to stay put until she found out what happened.

Questions still surged through her mind, but there were no answers to silence them. She'd called Jax when she got onto the highway. It went to voicemail which she was fine with, leaving him a message and telling her brother she was on her way to Saint Thomas. Tara worked there and that's where Abel and Thomas were both born. It didn't take a genius to figure out which hospital the Teller family had gone.

It was still dark outside and the lights of the cars were few. Alex thankfully had the wherewithal to turn on her police scanner. She didn't have a problem speeding, but she wasn't sure she'd have the right frame of mind to stop if she saw red and blue flashing in her mirror.

An hour passed before she pulled into the parking lot at Saint Thomas and her worry hadn't subsided. Jax had called her back and told her Abel was in surgery. He said that Thomas was fine, Gemma a bit worse for the wear but okay, but Abel was the one that worried the doctors. It hastened Alex's arrival.

She wove through the hallways, nearly running into a few people and knocking them over before making it to the pediatric unit of the hospital. She looked everywhere, down every hall and found nothing until spotting the edge of a familiar cut peeking through a window. Jax and Tara were standing outside an operating room in the restricted wing. Again Alex didn't hesitate to burst through the doors.

Jax and Tara heard the noise, the sound of the door smashing into the wall and saw Alex jogging towards them. Jax seemed to relax slightly and hugged the young woman that plowed into his chest.

"Jesus Jax," Alex breathed into his cut, squeezing him tightly and catching sight of Abel over his father's shoulder. She closed her eyes to avoid seeing the baby being operated on but opened them when she pulled back from Jax. "Tara."

Jax kept a gentle hand on Alex's shoulder as she hugged Tara, the two women clinging to each other. Even though Tara knew Abel was going to be fine, the worry and stress of the situation still brought a few tears to her eyes. Slowly they parted.

"What happened?" Alex asked, her brows furrowed together in the center of her forehead as she looked from one Teller to another.

"Gemma was taking the boys for the weekend," Tara began, her voice cracking. She touched her lips briefly and cleared her throat before steeling herself to finish what she had to say. "She lost control of the car and cops found them in a ditch."

"How is everyone?" she asked, glancing to the boy in the bubble.

"Fine." Tara forced, the three of them turning their attention to the operation. "But uh, Abel's heart uh…"

Alex's brows twitched again when she looked to Jax.

"I didn't know Abel got that." She said, already knowing the Teller family history of heart problems.

Her eyes instinctively went to Jax's chest. He was the _only_ one who came out of it unscathed. Jax's head fell against the arm he had propped on the glass. Jax was lucky. The hole in his heart had healed itself. There is a percentage of people born with the affliction that actually 'grow' out of it. It's a small percent, single digits in fact, but it happens. Thomas, Abel and even Gemma weren't immune, but Jax had survived.

She could see the hint of tears in his eyes. It wasn't so much that he didn't trust the doctors working on his son; it was his fatherly fears that were getting to him.

"Hey," she whispered, putting her hand on his shoulder and drawing his eyes. Alex forced a smile. "He'll be fine, right?"

"Yeah." Jax nodded heavily. "They just gotta correct his heart beat."

"There you go." She smiled. "Our boy'll be okay."

Jax nodded again, looking Alex up and down. He pushed himself off the glass and squared himself to her.

"Speaking of our boys, how's…"

Jax didn't finish his question because everyone in their little hall knew what he was going to say. Alex face hardened slightly.

"Good." She nodded. "But before I forget."

Alex suddenly reared back and landed a punch directly to Jax's jaw. He spun slightly from the force, Tara squeaking a gasp while Alex immediately curled her hand to her stomach.

"Jesus Christ." He snapped, gently touching his face when he looked to his sister.

She pointed a stern finger at him.

"You deserved that Teller." She told him firmly.

Jax stared at her, obviously annoyed with the hit, but a smile soon began to tug at the corner of his lips. He nodded briefly. It was true, he deserved it, and he wasn't going to hold it against her either. Alex nodded her own silent agreement.

"And I'm not going to do it now, but you know sometime real soon you and me are gonna have a talk about all this, right?"

The smirk faded and Jax nodded.

"Yeah," he sighed. "Okay." He side stepped Alex and went to Tara. He looped his arm around her waist and kissed her temple. "I'm gonna go get some coffee."

Tara nodded, her arms crossed tightly around her body. They all seemed to know underneath that this was part coffee trip, part talking Alex down from homicide. With another parting kiss, Jax waved at Alex to follow.

The pair walked in silence for a moment or two, threading through one hallway after another before coming to the cafeteria. Again they didn't speak. Jax pointed to a table. Alex took her seat and he went to get them both a cup of disgusting brown swill.

"So," he sighed heavily as he fell into the hard plastic chair. "How's your week been?"

Alex cocked a brow and fought the urge to kick him under the table. Jax smiled heavily as he dumped nearly a quarter cup of sugar into his coffee.

"There a reason you couldn't say something to me before Jackson?"

He took one steadying breath after another, lazily stirring his coffee. Jax took a sip without answering and grimaced.

"I couldn't." he said, the only real answered he'd ever given her as he met Alex's eyes. "To be honest, I wasn't a hundred percent he'd even make it." Alex's eyes began to glisten. "Look, Romeo said he'd help us out, give Ope an out, but it had to look real. With the guards and shit all on Pope's dime, he couldn't just take a dive. He had to look like he died."

"He did." She said softly. "Have you even seen him since he got out of the hospital?"

Jax shook his head. Until Alex had called him, he didn't know if Opie made it out of county alive or not. Romeo never told him, neither did Luis because it all had to look real. Until Alex called, Jax honestly thought Opie was dead.

"Not since the wake." He replied, swatting granules of sugar off the table top and onto the floor. He didn't want to meet her eyes. "How bad is he?"

"Bad enough." She snapped weakly, angered but unable to bring the emotion to her voice. Jax slowly met her gaze and noticed a few tears had fallen but she held firm. Alex supported her head in her hand and looked desperately to her brother. "He's all beat to shit Jax, bruises, cuts, everything all beaten down." Jax winced at the memory. "What happened to him?"

He shook his head, either not wanting to tell her or not wanting to relay the events. He ran his fingers through his hair.

"It's done." He finally said. "He's home now."

"No." she said quickly catching Jax's eye. "He's in hiding because Opie Winston is buried next to his first wife."

"What do you want me to say, huh?" he growled, tired of making excuses and not sure he could in the first place. "Ope wanted a clean break. He wanted to get the hell out of the MC and have a life."

"So you send him into the pit with those animals?"

The two were about to start yelling at each other, their voices getting progressively louder the longer they spoke. Their only saving grace was the late hour and nearly abandoned cafeteria.

"I didn't send him into shit!" Jax suddenly bellowed, his anger boiling over though neither knew what from. Jax was too conflicted already, too filled with secrets and too worried to realize what he was doing until eyes diverted to him and his voice echoed back. He relaxed marginally. "Ope wouldn't let anyone else in. He head butted the guard you shot. They pushed him into it before we could stop them."

"Prick." Alex sighed, her head dipping low.

"The guard or Ope?"

"Both." She replied, hesitantly and heavily meeting his gaze. "He almost came here with me, to the hospital."

"He can't do that." Jax said as though it were obvious.

"I know." She nodded. "I don't think he realized what he did. It's not like WITSECT when you just disappear with a new name. People saw him in a coffin, his _kids_ saw him in his coffin. There's no coming back from that shit."

Jax nodded, turning the cup halfheartedly in his hands.

"How's he taking it?"

Alex shrugged a single shoulder.

"I don't know." She answered honestly. "Part of me thinks leaving California might be the only chance. It's too tempting being this close to Charming."

Jax took in a deep slow breath and nodded. He didn't like the answer, but he didn't like the questions that would arise otherwise either.

"Yeah." He said heavily. "How are you taking all this? Him being back?"

Alex shrugged again.

"I don't know. On one hand, I'm so happy ya know? But on the other…" she paused, trying to find the words. "It just…"

"It don't seem real."

She shook her head. It didn't and they both knew it. Everything felt wrong. Clearing her throat, Alex pushed passed it.

"How's Thomas?"

"Good." Jax offered, willing to move on too. "A little scratched up from broken glass and shit, but he's fine. No heart problems."

"Uh-huh. Well, it looks like having Tara around made all the Teller men stronger."

Jax narrowed his eyes while a smile tugged at the corner of his lips. It was true. Tara brought Jax out of his bullshit. She fixed Abel and made him strong and the son he and Tara had together wasn't born with their family flaw. Something about Tara Knowles made every Teller man stronger.

"You seen Lyla lately?"

The question was out of nowhere and Jax knew it, but he felt like he had to ask. Alex shook her head.

"Not since before moving. Why?"

"Just wondering. She kind of stepped up, ya know?"

"Yeah, I bet. Then again, it's easier taking care of three kids that are double digit age."

There was a hint of animosity in Alex's voice that Jax recognized but didn't comment on. It was how she felt. She never understood why Lyla would have trouble taking care of them all. Kenny and Elle were great kids, well behaved and polite. Elle was eleven, Kenny nine, both old enough to understand rules and how they should act so unless Piper was a hellion, everything should have been pretty easy for the porn star.

"Speaking of kids, how you doin'?"

Alex took a deep breath and sighed loudly.

"Fine." She replied, Jax still smiling at her like an idiot. "Still pregnant."

He chuckled lightly.

"What's Ope think?"

"Don't really know. I fainted after first saying it and then pointed a shotgun at him."

"What?" he laughed.

"Oh yeah. It was a hell of a reunion." She teased. "But I guess he's fine with it. I don't know." She said until she remembered. "Oh shit, I need to call him, tell him what's going on."

"Okay." Jax nodded as Alex dug through her pocket for her phone. "Hey uh, you think I could talk to him for a minute too?"

Alex smiled sweetly, the ringing phone to her ear and nodded. She offered it to Jax without waiting for Opie to answer. He took it and waited impatiently for someone to answer.

"_Yeah?"_ an all to familiar voice asked on the other end.

Jax felt the breath leave his lungs in one relieved breath, his head falling into his hand and tears welling in his eyes. Again, until Alex called him, Jax didn't know for sure if Opie was alive.

"Hey Ope," Jax laughed weakly into the phone. "How you been bro?"

There was a brief pause on the other end, but when he spoke Jax could hear the smile in his friend's voice.

"_Better. Been better brother."_ He chuckled.

"Shit its good to hear your voice."

"_Guess this means Alex is at St. Thomas?"_

"Yeah. Got here about a half hour ago I guess. Been filling her in."

"_Abel gonna be okay?"_

"Yeah." He nodded, blinking free a few tears of happiness. Hearing Opie's voice seemed to be enough to help anchor him in the shit storm world he found himself in. "Doc's are fixing him up right now."

"_Gemma and Thomas good too?"_

"Yeah, just a little banged up from the wreck, but everyone's whole."

"_That's good brother."_

"Yeah man," he said, still unable to believe he was talking to Opie. "Well hey, me and Tara'll come visit soon, okay? Catch you up on what's going on."

"_Sure. Just let me know."_

Jax nodded to himself.

"No problem bro. Look, I need to go check on my boy. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"_Sure man. Later."_

"Later." He said, handing Alex the phone with a smile.

"Hello?" she asked, knowing the guys had a habit of hanging up.

"_Hey babe."_ Opie answered.

Alex smiled as Jax stood and leaned over to kiss her forehead before heading back to the ICU and to Tara.

"_So everything's good?"_

"I guess. I'm gonna stay here for a while though, probably stay the night and see Gemma in the morning or something."

"_You gonna sleep in the hospital or something?"_

"No." she smiled. "Still haven't sold the house. There's a key under one of those damn rocks in the front, I just need to find it. I'll stay there for the night and head out probably tomorrow afternoon or something. Give you a call?"

"_Yeah, okay. Love you."_

"I love you too."

Alex hung up the phone and gathered her cup of coffee before joining Jax and Tara in the other wing of the hospital.

On the other end of the line, Opie snapped the small flip phone shut and tossed it onto the cushion beside him where it joined the other two. He hadn't known which of the phones Alex was going to call him on so kept all three close by. His eyes trained forward as he went, feeling rejuvenated from his talk with Jax. He knew the only way to feel better and was working on it.

_Welcome to Charming_ shined brightly in the headlights of his stolen car before disappearing in the rearview mirror.


End file.
